Welcome to Hell, Beautiful Boyz
by Koi Carp
Summary: After the murder of his parents, Kyle is sent to juvenile prison. But as a a boy raised in protection and comfort, how will he survive in the brutal jungle infamous for no returners? More detail inside. Slash. AU. M-rated for a reason.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N****: Thank you for picking this up! This is set in a prison for criminals under the age of twenty (not exactly a juvie), which was created by the futuristic government as a type of "dumpster" for society. It will portray nothing of the prisons today, I hope. Hope you get through to the story. **

**Explanasium****: This story is a little SciFi in the way that it is set in a world a few hundred years from now. All in all, the world is buggered. Raging climate change, a lazy psycho government and world after WW6 does not make a good mix. There is a large wall between the middle/upper classes, and the lower class that lives in slums. Think Nausicaa, no.6 and something else mixed together. I won't go into detail, but to sum it up in one word: **_**dystopia**_**. Be aware there won't be much detail in the story either. It doesn't really matter hopefully. That much…**

**Disclaimeration****: Everything everyone else and I've said in the stories that I haven't forgotten: I don't own nothin'. Even the story is influenced by another. I was into it with my friend, she is doing her version, and now I am too and of course fanfiction. **

**Warninogamy****: When you press on an M-rated story you would probably expect violence, language, sex, adult themes, in some cases murder or even rape… I don't know how bad this story is going to get, but expect the worst. That includes my writing skills. **

**If you hadn't run away yet, then welcome to Hell, Beautiful. **

* * *

1

The whole room is illuminated red from the light of the full moon shining through the giant window, bouncing off the leaking fluid and making it glow. But I know that is not possible because of two reasons. One, because outside is a thunderstorm, covering the whole sky with thick rain clouds and not letting a speck of moonlight through. And second, because the room is too big to be covered with the blood of only two people.

My father's body is lying beside the door, letting it be obvious that his throat was cut the second he had opened the door. And here, is my mother. I draw the knife out of her chest and drop it beside her. I can't move a single muscle in my face, but there are tears falling down my cheeks as if my eyes have turned into a waterfall. I don't have the right to cry, but I can't help it. I hear the door creak open a little wider behind me and I finally take my eyes off my dead mother to look at who had come in.

'Kyle?' He says my name, eyes wide with disbelief as they spot my bloodied hands. 'Brother? What are you—'

'Ike…' I call his name with my lips that are trying to quiver into a smile. I hear the front doors slam open in the distance, then the roaring of the footsteps rushing towards this room, and I know it's over. The police blast into the room knocking Ike off his feet with the impact and not seeming to care, and they all point their guns at me.

I don't hear what they say because I've finally been able to give a smile to my brother, but I know this is when I put my hands in the air, and that is what I do. They don't care how unarmed I am by both body-mass and weapon; they push me down deep into the floor ripping my arms to my back. I can feel my mother's blood lick my cheek as they cuff my hands and I open my eyes to find myself staring into her visage-mort. My eyes widen and I want to scream, but I keep it in with one last tear. This is what I did. This is what I did.

They pull me up to my feet and begin pulling me out of the room. Ike had got himself off the floor and is now staring at me with horror on his face. I can't help but feel regret as I look at him. I know that he is going to be left alone now, without love and family, but without pain or hate too, which is good. He will be okay. He will grow up himself to be strong and gentle. But now, he is still a child, unable to process what is going on.

'Where are you taking him?' He whispers, but no one listens to him and an instant flame ignites in his eyes. 'You can't take him away! You can't! He didn't do this! He couldn't have!'

'I'm sorry Ike. But it's okay,' I smile a lie: 'It's all going to be okay…'

It's the first time that I'm walking out of the walls of this mansion freely, well, not exactly freely with the cuffs around my wrists. It is a moment I have always dreamed of, yet I had never imagined it to come like this.

But I did this all for him.

It was the right thing to do, wasn't it?

.

Kyle's eyes opened wide. For a second he sat there like a statue, and then the next second he took a long, burning breath realising that he had not been breathing the whole time he was daydreaming, coughing on the hot air agonisingly. He lost his balance as he did and fell onto the boy's shoulder sitting next to him.

'Don't fucking touch me, asshole.' The brunet glared, injecting enough malice in his monotonous voice to make Kyle shiver.

'Sorry,' Kyle whispered. The boy's deep blue eyes widened, almost in shock at Kyle's word, and then a roaring voice came from the front of the van.

'Shut your fucking mouths bitches! Or I'll cut your tongues off and shove them down your fucking throats!'

Kyle sighed and sat back up straight, ignoring the strange stare the brunet sitting next to him was giving his way. Kyle already knew how different he was, just by observing the other kids in the van. They all sat differently from him, hunching their shoulders, and hiding their faces with shadow, while Kyle sat up and kept his eyes focused, although with hesitation. And the boy sitting next to him, Kyle noticed his teeth with the single sentence he said. The front were yellowed and he could see one missing at the back, making Kyle realise that his own white positioned teeth was something not everybody had.

A heavy ice was sinking into his chest that he instinctively knew not to show. A heavy ice of fear.

.

The group of vans all divided away to the four different entrances, but Kyle didn't know that until he was finally let out of the van along with the other kids, and again the kids were divided into two groups, yet that was simply by the van.

Kyle expected the Colorado sun to burn them the second they stepped out, but found that they had entered something similar to a cloud forest some short time ago, a place almost unimaginable from the hours of driving through desert heat. But before Kyle could dwell much on his surroundings he was taken, along with the other prisoners, into the large concrete monster that was going to become his home. Inside it seemed so dark and gloomy that moss could grow on the walls and floor, only they didn't.

Kyle and seven other boys were placed in two rows in a cold empty room. He was in the front row, second from the right. He grit his teeth as one of the young guards (barely a couple of years older than him) patted his body for search. He felt uncomfortable, not experiencing such treatment in his gentle, protected life, but he could stand that. What he didn't like was the guard's eyes that stared at him, into him. He seemed harmless compared to the other fat guard who was glaring and towering over the kids threateningly, but Kyle couldn't rub off that look in his eye. He looked down to the guard's badge, which read: Marsh.

'Now turn around with your hands in the air and bend over,' the fat guard said, making Kyle fling his eyes off of Marsh.

'Why?' Kyle demanded, although the guard wasn't speaking to him yet. The redhead instantly noticed his mistake as the guard turned toward him with the face of a brick wall. The first boy in line also looked at him, a bead of sweat rolling down his neck. But Kyle kept his strong eyes on the guard, even as he moved his way.

'Why?' The fat guard repeated, without his previous shouting. Kyle couldn't nod, but kept on staring without blinking. The guard cracked his neck, and then slammed his baton into Kyle's cheek, smashing him to the ground. Sharp pain tore through his mouth and he could taste blood spread along his tongue. It was the first time he had ever been hit. Ever. And he thought nothing could be worse than that, until a second later.

Kyle felt cold, and it wasn't just his lower body being exposed, but it was the strong shiver in his chest. The next moment he had let out a harsh cry. Two fingers dug into him from behind, ignoring Kyle's agonising voice if not responding to them by scissoring him wider and deeper. Even in the physical pain, he could hear the voice of the younger guard, the bark of the one on top of him, and feel the humiliation. He could feel the eyes digging into him, some in horror, some in amusement, some in distaste.

'For rectal examination. That's why.' The guard finally answered over quickened breaths, drawing his gloved fingers out of Kyle. The redhead lay there gritting his teeth as he tried to keep his eyes shadowed with his fringe. Tears were leaking out of him, tears that he never experienced. Tears of hate and shame. 'You pass. Get up.'

Kyle dragged his pants up back to his hips and stood up, glaring with burning eyes. The guard pointed his baton under Kyle's jaw, and the redhead waited for another hit. But the guard merely smirked and went back to the beginning of the line.

'You didn't have to be so rough Cartman. He's new.' Marsh muttered to the fat guard.

'He's a fucking criminal you pussy! They all are! And besides, they need their introduction.' Kyle felt the guard's eyes glimmer towards him one last time as he said those words. It made him gulp, but he kept his eyes as he burned the guard's name into his head: Cartman.

No one dared to repeat the mistake Kyle had done: show defiance— a hint of their identity.

.

Showering was a strange experience, and not because of the eyes or the lack of hygienic feeling the stained tiles and cheap shower gave. The heavy water, big thumps of painful drops, to Kyle, did not seem to be washing him clean, but seemed to sink heavy and dense into his skin like acid. He slid on the prison uniform he was given, feeling as if it was to lock his skin and heart underneath the dark fabric like a mask for his body. He was a soldier now. A soldier fighting to survive.

After the quick body checks and showering were done, they were put back into their two lines, and Kyle noticed that some heads were shaven clean.

The group was divided into two: four prisoners to a guard. Kyle was glad that he wasn't put into the group with the fat sadistic guard, but that didn't mean that he enjoyed the company of the Marsh. He had a strange flick in his eyes that Kyle couldn't grab a hold of.

They walked through damp and dark corridors filled with black heavy-looking doors. Yet although the doors looked thick and heavy, they could hear the endless echoes of voices and laughs and shouts and cries from behind them. Or maybe it was only his imagination. Kyle thought that any scream would be quickly sucked into the moisture on the walls, making it audible to nobody.

'Number 46659: Tucker, Craig.'

The first boy was called before one of those heavy doors and Kyle found that it was the brunet he had accidently fell onto in the van. The boy didn't say anything as he walked into his room, but Kyle swore that he saw him point his middle finger in the air before the door closed shut behind him.

After ten minutes, half the group were called and sent into behind those heavy doors. Kyle was the last, so he expected to be at the end of the corridor. But Marsh had turned back around, taking Kyle with him on a long U turn.

'Number 46664: Broflovski, Kyle.' Kyle stepped forward, still wondering in his head.

'Why was I kept to the last? Would it not have been possible to walk from one side to the other? Or was it necessary to walk all the way to the end of the corridor and come back?'

Marsh sighed before opening the door.

'No questions. And don't speak against the guards. That's advise.' He said, waving his finger for emphasis before he checked in the dark room. 'Your cellmate doesn't seem to be in right now… To give you another advise, watch out for your cellmate. He's feared around here.' Marsh said, pulling his head back out to look at Kyle. 'Be careful.'

'Why would you give me any advise at all?' Kyle asked, with suspicion more than gratefulness. Marsh twitched a corner of his lip, either trying to make a smile, or hole one in.

'Because I'm not a blood-thirsty guard like some of them.'

Kyle still eyed Marsh with a frown until he took his steps into the cell and the door closed shut behind him. He didn't hear it lock though, so maybe he was free to open and walk about. He did see prisoners wondering about on his way there. He found their eyes and cheers provoking and uncomfortable.

Inside the cell, it was so dark that Kyle thought the lights were out, but then he noticed the flickering bulb above him. He let out a small breath of annoyance as he dropped his change of clothes, cup and toothbrush on the clean bed. He gave his bed one good look, telling himself that that was now his only private room.

'That's not too bad.' Kyle murmured to himself positively, and turned around. He paused, and then his heart jumped as he noticed something in the dark. It didn't move, so it took Kyle a moment to notice that it was a boy sitting on the other bed.

Kyle thought it must be the dark uniform and bad light that made it hard to identify him properly; no wonder Marsh hadn't notice him before. A second past looking at him, and Kyle realised that the boy was staring straight back with eyes of obsidian. Even under the flickering light, Kyle could tell his charcoal hair and snow-white skin, and that he had a bedevilling beauty like a whisper in the dark.

'Hello. I'm Kyle Broflovski.' Kyle managed after a gulp. 'Are you my cellmate?' The boy didn't speak back, but continued to stare with his wide eyes. Kyle wondered if he would ever blink, and thought that he might actually not.

Kyle opened his mouth to repeat himself, but the boy stood up to his feet, cutting off his words. He was still staring, swallowing Kyle whole with his eyes. Kyle was frozen, but then he jumped as the boy extended his white hand towards him. It landed on his swelled cheek, and it was comfortable to him like a pack of ice. Another hand rested on his other cheek, and if it was ever possible, the boy's eyes widened even more. His lips finally parted as he leaned into the redhead, slowly slitting into a smile so great, yet so subtle, as if he was feeling an explosion inside that he could not express. It looked as if he was glad to see Kyle, so much so that it seemed that he had been waiting for this moment his whole life.

Kyle somehow thought that he was going to be consumed by the boy and disappear into shadow, but then the boy let go and turned to the door way. The door opened, letting a white light pierce into the room and onto the boy's back as he hung by his hands on the doorframe. Kyle still couldn't say anything as the boy kept his wide smile and eyes on him.

'Welcome to Hell,' was all he said, his voice a mixture of man, woman and child, as portrayed by his face. And he stepped back into the light and let the door close back shut, leaving Kyle alone in his dark cell.

Kyle blinked, and looked back up to the flickering light, but the impact of the closing door seemed to have fixed its fuse, because it was no longer flickering. Kyle watched it with suspicion for a minute, until the sound of the heavy door opening again broke his concentration.

He thought that it was the shadow-like boy returning, but the boy who had entered couldn't have been more different. He was bright. With his tall height, icy blue eyes and scruffy blond hair, he had an unavoidable presence. He was handsome, but so completely different from the raven boy's subtle and yet haunting elegance.

Kyle couldn't help but stare at him, while the blond's eyes stared back with contemplation. Yet even without blinking as he stared, it took Kyle a second to notice that the blond was smiling. It was a smile that was only a lift of the lips that didn't move, until they opened to speak.

'So, the fucker finally sent one over huh? Just in time. I was gonna stop waiting.' He said, and the door closed behind him. With the heavy door closing, the light flickered again, but only for a second as the blond walked over to Kyle. Kyle kept his feet from stepping back, knowing that he would hit the bed if he did. But the blond kept on towering over him, leaving Kyle with nothing to do but gulp. He was confused. What was this blond doing here if the two beds belonged to Kyle and the earlier raven boy? But his thoughts were cut off by the other's words. 'Worth the wait though. Finally a looker.'

'Huh?' Kyle frowned in confusion. 'How can you tell my eyesight?'

The blond chuckled hollowly.

'Do me a favour and don't attempt at humour again while we do this.'

Kyle was about to repeat his 'Huh?' again, until he was suddenly pushed down into the bed by the tall boy.

'What!' Kyle said instead with more passion, but it was difficult to gather his thoughts to form a whole sentence as the blond was climbing up on him. 'What do you think you're doing?' He managed to snap.

'What? Fucking you. Obviously.'

'Huh?' The redhead's mind lingered over the unfamiliar word for a second, but his mind snapped back when he felt cold hands slip underneath his top. 'What are you doing!' Kyle yelled again, thrashing his arms at the blond who seemed to be moving so naturally. Under Kyle's protest the blond finally seemed to adopt confusion. His smile dropped and he drew his hands out of Kyle's shirt.

'Calm down!' He said, grabbing at Kyle's violent arms. 'Didn't he fucking tell you anything?'

'What are you talking about? Let me go!'

A deep, hollow sound that seemed to be a knock on the door interfered with the two's actions, freezing them on the bed. The blond stared at the door for a second until the knocking came again, and he sent Kyle a brief glance before letting him go to head for the door. Kyle sat up, still feeling himself burning, and stared as the blond opened the door only enough for himself to look out.

'Um… I was sent here…' A soft voice said, letting Kyle detect a hint of shaking in it. But the blond didn't say anything as he kept on staring at the knocker. 'I was sent here by… Leo…' Kyle thought he detected a twitch in the blond's back.

'Get out…' He said softly to the knocker outside.

'But—'

'Get the fuck out!' The blond shouted, his voice more threatening than its volume. Even Kyle froze before the door was shut back with a thud. The blond turned and looked back at him on the bed and Kyle managed a glare as he did so. The blond sighed silently, and moved to the bed opposite to Kyle's.

'Why the hell didn't you say something? I nearly fucking raped you.' The blond asked, without the empty smile now. Kyle frowned with this question.

'Well I'm sorry if my screams weren't loud enough for you. Or maybe you should get your ears checked?'

'Fine. Whatever.' Kenny rubbed his eyes frustratingly before turning them back to Kyle. 'What the fuck are you doing here though?'

Kyle began to feel more irritated by the minute talking to this blond.

'I was assigned here. This is my room.'

The blond looked up at Kyle, and then lied back on his mattress with his back on him.

'Great. I have a fucking cellmate now...'

'What?' Kyle muttered. The blond was his cellmate? Then who was that raven boy earlier? Kyle opened his mouth to ask the blond if he was familiar with such a haunting boy, but something made him stop before any words came out. Instead he said,

'My name is Kyle.' The blond turned, just enough to send Kyle a confused gaze. So Kyle added, 'Kyle Broflovski.'

'What are you doing?'

'Introducing myself obviously.' Kyle tried to hide his own absurdity with a confident voice. 'Although you're unbelievably rude and touched me quite inappropriately, I thought we might as well be civil if we are going to be locked in this cell together. So? What's your name?'

The blond scoffed and shook his head before turning his body to Kyle.

'You're not gonna last here long kid…' He said with a soft voice. 'Especially if you think _I'm_ rude.'

Kyle ignored the latter statement and kept to the first, trying to keep his voice strong as he did.

'I am going to be here long though. For the rest of my life actually, unless I receive immortality or something along those lines.'

'That's what I mean though. The rest of your life is not going to be long. You're gonna be raped, bashed, diseased, exhausted, left on the ground like an old rag to your death.'

For a second, Kyle forgot to breathe. He couldn't deny that he was scared, and that his feeling was just fed by the blond's brutal words. But he wasn't hopeless, and he continued although softly now.

'Well, you're wrong. I'm not going to die. Not soon anyway.'

'Oh, are you blind too? In that case you will definitely find your way around. Honestly though, look at yourself!' The blond backslapped the air and pointed his hand at Kyle, indicating his physique. 'You look like you were birthed by twigs and raised in a warm cradle in a fucking palace, fed nothing but gold-coated berries! You have graciousness shining out your eyes and ignorance leaking out your ears! And being pretty is not an asset here. I couldn't even hope that you would last a month.'

'Well, I do!' Kyle wanted to stand up for emphasis, but his body did it without command. Strangely, strength had returned back to him, maybe because of the frustration and anger, or just his stubborn belief. But he felt ensured. 'I hope I would last a month, a think I will last for years! Heck, I have faith that I'll even get out of here alive someday.'

The blond stared at him with round eyes, smile gone but the ice quivering in the blues.

'How could you?'

Kyle huffed.

'Why wouldn't I?'

…

The blond stared at him with firm eyes, trying to look through those bright emeralds to see the true colour inside. But without any luck, the blond turned his back back on Kyle without another word. It had turned quiet again.

Kyle looked around the room to try and take his mind off the silence. The light was still dark and there were no windows, but it was light enough to detect the colours of the room, although that was hardly necessary since everything in the room was only different shades of grey to black. Kyle turned his eyes back to the boy lying on the other bed. Well, at least the people gave the room a little colour.

Kyle's eyes continued to linger on the blond. The tall boy had a strong presence when he was awake, but now that he was sleeping (or just pretending to, Kyle couldn't tell), it was as if he couldn't detect that he was there, even while staring at him. It made him feel nervous.

'Hey?' the boy didn't reply, but somehow Kyle could tell that he had heard him, and so released a breath of relief. 'You still haven't told me your name yet…'

For a second Kyle didn't expect an answer, until he heard the blond reply with a heavy voice, stripped of its earlier (almost intimidating) hollow friendliness.

'Kenny McCormick.'

A warm smile crept onto Kyle's lips, something he didn't think he would do in such a gloomy place.

'Nice to meet you Kenny.'

Kyle didn't know what time it was, but he copied Kenny's position and lied onto his bed. Only, as he did Kenny sat back up, glaring at Kyle.

'What the fuck do you mean, "nice to meet you"?' He mimicked Kyle's words. 'Look kid, there's no nice meeting anybody here. Especially me. Don't think we're friends just because I haven't killed you.'

'Do you kill often?' Kyle asked, eyes round. The blond blinked, then flicked his wrist in the air.

'Never really intentionally. It's just that, when I stop punching someone in a fight, it's usually when the other guy's dead.'

Those words made Kyle's stomach flip; he couldn't deny it, it wasn't something he was expecting. The blond was tall, but not exactly the biggest person he had seen there so far. He didn't have scars and tattoos covering his body, and he would've even said that he was slim, with sharp muscles instead of looking like a bus.

'Is that why you're here? Because you "unintentionally" kill people?' Kyle asked emotionally as a hint of contempt began to simmer inside him. 'Are lives that hollow to you? I bet then that everyone's scared of you, huh? Maybe the people you kill get what they deserve for picking a fight with you in the first place.'

Kenny stared at him as he talked, face showing nothing but cold as apposed to the heat bubbling inside Kyle. Kyle didn't even know why he was angry. This guy was a criminal, along with everybody in there. His light-hearted approach towards people's lives was probably just a normal thing— And then Kyle realised. He was a murderer too.

'That's right,' Kenny suddenly said, making Kyle's simmering freeze as the blond stood up. 'People get themselves killed. They only get what they asked for. That's why people know not to mess with me, touch me, talk to me. They even give me stupid names like the Immortal Prince or the Hoodless Reaper. But I guess you're just a newbie, so you don't know.'

Kenny was right up at Kyle's bed, and just as Kyle opened his mouth nervously, Kenny's arms grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him back deep into the bed, making him choke.

'But I'm not sentenced here because I _unintentionally_ killed someone. I'm here because, well, the usual. Although I did kill that one guy, but they didn't sent me to jail for that, I was too young. So, the usual. I whored before I was ten, then dealt and pimped, just a little though. I liked drugs and girls but not selling them to other people. Yeah, then I stole from penguins to baldies; they didn't like that. Um, what else?' Kenny's hands were sliding away from Kyle's shoulders, reaching in and in until they were around Kyle's neck. And still they continued to reach in. 'Oh yeah.' He said with a smile. 'There was that one time I wiped out a group of soldiers and the leaders of a small village… But that's about it.'

Kyle whispered something out of his closing throat.

'Huh?' His hands around Kyle's neck loosed a bit to let more voice come out of him.

'Why are you telling me this?' Kenny frowned in confusion, until Kyle continued: 'Why would you be scared of me?'

Kenny let go of Kyle's throat as if the skin suddenly burnt his hands. Kyle barely coughed but took in a deep air as Kenny looked at him with round eyes.

'What do you mean?' He asked as the redhead leaned back up.

'Isn't that why you are telling me such brutal stories? To intimidate me?' Kyle asked with his full voice regained. 'Why would you feel the need to intimidate me?'

'I don't know what you're talking about,' the blond muttered and walked back to his bed. He sat down but didn't lie down with his back on Kyle this time. He hunched his shoulders and looked down at the floor between his feet.

'Is that true?' Kyle asked once the heat in the silence wared out.

'You can believe what you like.' Kenny answered monotonously. Kyle knew that that was his cue to stop talking, but he chose not to. He never really did.

'I'd like to believe that that isn't true then…' Kenny looked up. 'I'd like to believe that such a tragic story didn't happen. But then again I have lived my life locked up in a mansion, divided from the world with tall walls. And although I had my own—' Kyle felt a sharp pain squeeze his chest like a shock, stopping his words. He sighed, before continuing. 'Nothing compared to the pain others have faced.'

It was difficult to read the expression on Kenny's face, whether it was shock, disbelief or distaste. Whatever it was, it crooked his handsome features.

'So you really were raised in a palace? You haven't even seen the deserts or the slums? This is the first time you've been outside the wall? You know—' he slapped his knee in frustration, 'what the fuck is a princess like you even doing in a place like this anyway?'

'What do you mean?'

'I mean, what are you in for? Forgot to do your homework? Sneezed on the mayor? What?'

Kyle's eyes widened and his face turned grave.

'For murder…'

'Murder? Kicked around one of your maids too much? Didn't think you had it in you,' Kenny joked sardonically. 'So, what's your sentence? Thirty, forty years?'

'One hundred and twenty-six—' Kyle interrupted Kenny's words. He wasn't blinking and he was looking straight ahead, but Kenny's grin dropping with shock didn't enter his eyes. 'For parricide.' Kyle looked into Kenny's eyes. 'For the murder of my parents…'

Silence filled the room, making the air heavy like water, and cold like ice.

'Is that true?'

Kyle blinked and smiled heavily.

'You can believe what you like.'

Kyle had prepared for the worst as he made his confession. Even while being raised in a cradle Kyle knew the condemnation of parricide, one of the worst crimes there could be, and in his case, for two. It was probably what had given him such a long sentence. As he stared into Kenny's eyes he waited for the blond to stand up and come to hurt him, maybe even kill him out of the sheer disgust of his confession. But Kenny didn't do anything. He lied back down with his back on Kyle and killed down any hint of presence his woken self held once again.

'You shouldn't go around telling people that so light-heartedly.' Kenny's voice said.

'I know.' And heavy silence surrounded them.

A deep sigh leaked out of Kyle's mouth, but he kept it quiet. He lied down on his side like Kenny had once again, but unlike Kenny, he didn't put his back to him. He didn't want to sleep facing the wall, not while having his back on someone.

.

He heard a chime and opened his eyes from his shallow sleep what felt like only minutes later. It went off after a few times and Kyle turned his attention to Kenny who was getting up from his bed.

'What does that bell mean?' Kyle asked. Kenny looked at him briefly.

'It tells the time.'

'How?'

'By beeping the number of hours, duh.'

Kyle grimaced by the sheer obviousness of it. And they told him he was smart.

'What time is it now then?'

'Seven O'clock. Dinner time.' Kenny answered before opening the door. He didn't offer his company but Kyle chose to follow him anyway.

'I didn't imagine that we'd be able to walk around so freely. I thought we would be watched by the guards like dogs on a leash, you know? I expected everything to be more organised at least, with set rules and guides, et cetera.'

'It's a fucking prison, what would you expect?' Kenny smirked. 'It's the most disorganised place out there. They don't give a shit about us. They just want us to be locked up far away enough to be harmless. That's what this is. A huge fucking dumpster.'

The corridors were soon packed with prisoners that all seemed to be going to the same destination. Kyle could tell straight away the new prisoners, and not only by some of their freshly shaven heads. They had a certain vibe around them, or a glimmer in their eye that hinted their puppy-dog fear of being thrown into a pack of wolves. Kyle just hoped he didn't show as much as the others did, although he was somehow confident that he didn't. He had his own ignorance to thank for that.

Although Kyle was busy memorising every turn they made and every door they passed, Kenny didn't seem to be able to lose him. Even as they were lining up with their trays in hand waiting for their food, Kyle was still right behind him, copying any (analytically) important action the blond made (for example, picking up the trays, lining up in cue, smiling at the bored servers who happened to be convicts as well). The one original action of asking 'Is this pork?' earned Kyle a polite 'Fuck off' from one of the servers. Well, Kyle decided that whatever it was he didn't have a choice if he wanted to survive. The food (with all apologies to the chef) neither looked delicious nor healthy.

It was after they had received their meals that Kenny finally looked back at him.

'I think I've been enough of a fucking angel now. So now that you've got your food, can you stop following me like fish crap.'

Kyle blinked. To be honest he was in no way surprised by this request. He looked around as Kenny watched him, looking for a nice table. Preferably one with many open seats, or… Kyle looked around far and close, but couldn't seem to spot the boy with the raven hair. He realised that he had forgotten to tell Kenny about him, but decided now wasn't the time as he stood around with his tray of food. Kyle stretched his neck as he found a good candidate with only one boy occupying it.

'See you then,' Kyle turned to Kenny before heading to the chosen table. Kyle almost smiled as he approached his table. The boy didn't have a single shadow or a sharpness sticking out of him. Even when he noticed Kyle's presence and looked up, a smile broke on his face instead of a scowl. His smile felt like the brightest light Kyle had seen in the mossy prison so far.

'Well, hello there! You must be new.' He said, pleasantness sewn onto his words. Kyle nodded.

'Mind if I take a seat?'

The smiling blond chuckled.

'Oh gosh, help yourself!'

Kyle took the seat across him and took his cutlery into his hands, but something stopped him as he still felt the small blond's eyes on him. He looked up questioningly. The blond was still smiling at him.

'I'm Butters,' he said, and Kyle relaxed as he noticed what the blond wanted. He gulped, although he hadn't taken a single speck of food yet, before introducing his name.

'I'm Kyle. Kyle Broflovski.'

The blond's smile widened as he opened his mouth to speak, but a voice from Kyle's back interfered him.

'What's up with you and introducing yourself?' It was Kenny's voice. Yet Kyle looked up anyway to check those icy-blue eyes staring down at him unimpressed.

'I thought you told me to stay away from you. Besides, he's the one who introduced himself first.'

'I told _you_ to stop _following_ me. Didn't say I wouldn't return the favour. Or do you have some special plans reserved for these empty chairs?' Kenny dropped himself into the chair next to Kyle. 'Didn't think so. Besides, Butters, as he introduced himself, is a fucking nickname. It'll be like you introducing yourself as Duck Sucker. Unlike your Kyle Broflovski. I even remember the fucking tongue twister now.'

'I don't suck ducks.'

Kyle could have scowled, but instead he chuckled (as well as Butters in the background). Kyle knew how annoying his last name was; everyone always needed practice saying it.

'Is Kenny McCormick a nickname too?'

Kenny slid a glance at him before beginning to eat.

'No.'

Butters was looking at the two questioningly as they began to eat, blue eyes wide in their puffy sockets. He seemed to have forgotten his own food, until Kenny talked to him, between one mouthful of food to the next. He leaned in though, loud enough for Butters, but not quite reaching Kyle under the sounds of his own chewing and mutterings in the hall. But when Kenny leaned back out, Butters looked a little taken aback, even shocked.

'Why?'

'Well, I can come up with three reasons. One: because they suck, in a non-entertaining way. Two: because I'm sick of dealing with you. And three: because I have a cellmate now.'

Butter's expression dimmed until he heard the last point and frowned in confusion.

'You? Cellmate? Have? That's pretty new I'd say, Kenny.'

'It's the first fucking time Buttface.'

Kyle twitched at the name, but the smaller blond didn't seem to care.

'So what does it matter though, if you have a cellmate? Can't you just ignore him or kick him out? Why not have a threesome, you'd enjoy that.'

'Because he's a noisy little bitch and would probably give me a long speech or lecture if I try do any of those things.'

Kyle paused as he was called a "noisy little bitch", but was impressed by how much his cellmate already knew of his character. He did have the tendency to give speeches.

'So why don't you shut his mouth? Bash him, rape him, mess him up a bit. It'll definitely keep him quiet.'

Kyle almost dropped his knife and fork onto his plate. Butters' voice was as innocent and casual as it was when he welcomed Kyle to sit, and it made Kyle hard to grasp his words. But once he did process them, it was hard to believe that they came out of his mouth.

'You know Butters. Sometimes you really make me sick.' Kenny said, making Butters' face twitch.

'Oh, hamburgers, it was only a joke, Kenny!'

'What a fucked up sense of humour you have then Mr. Teddy bear.'

Kyle began to feel a bitter taste in his mouth as he looked between Kenny and Butters. He was beginning to doubt the sweetness of Butters' smile and stuttering voice. Kyle looked up, and briefly met Butters' eyes before they moved back to Kenny.

'So, who is it?'

'Who is?'

'Your cellmate?'

Kenny eyed Butters as he stuffed another mountain of stew onto his spoon. 'What's it to you?' He said, before taking the spoon into his mouth. Butters didn't say anything, but glanced at Kyle again, who sat there trying to concentrate on his food as the chairs around them were filling up. It was beginning to get really loud, so he looked up to Kenny before it became impossible to talk.

'Why don't you just tell him?' He hissed. Kenny simply raised his brow. 'Why don't you just tell him who your cellmate is?'

'I don't give anyone any information unless it has some merit.'

'You gave _me_ your name?'

'That was to shut your pretty little mouth.'

Kyle brushed his lips at Kenny's words, feeling a little warm at the unexpected compliment, (was it?), until a wide toothy grin spread them wide.

'It didn't really work though did it?'

Kenny gave him a glance, then scoffed. But unlike his other dry emotionless grins, this one seemed to have a hint of sincerity in it, even if it was one of satire.

'Yeah. I'm still on the look for what _will_ make you shut up.'

Kyle opened his mouth again, but at that second a loud bang echoed around them, shutting Kyle's mouth and swinging his attention around to the noise.

'Well that did it,' Kenny shrugged and followed Kyle's gaze. He almost grunted as he saw the source of the noise. 'The fucking Boy's at it again.'

A large boy with thick hard muscle appearing from underneath ripped sleaves was standing menacingly over a boy he seemed to have just pushed over. Kyle noticed the tray raised up in his hand and immediately understood that he had taken the dinner off one of the other prisoners. Kyle began to rise up like a meerkat in a herd of rats without noticing that everyone in the hall had frozen. He noticed the big boy beginning to turn his gaze towards him, but he was quickly pulled back into his seat by Kenny's hand.

'What are you doing?'

'No, what are you doing?' Kenny hissed Kyle's words back at him. 'He's not someone you can handle. Just sit down and eat your own dinner.'

'But that guy just got his dinner taken off of him and we only get one serving each!'

'And we only get one life each. I'm telling you, it's none of your fucking business. Use your big fucking eyes and observe. You think you can beat that guy?' Kenny pointed at the big one going back to his seat with the extra tray. He confirmed Kyle's silence. 'I didn't think so.'

'Why don't you go then?' Kyle asked abruptly, making Kenny frown.

'Excuse me?'

'Why don't you go there and help him? He looks bigger than you but you're the Immortal Prince or whatever, right? So that's like a king, right?' Kenny still didn't say anything, confused at Kyle's words. So the redhead stood up with his bread without another word. Kenny watched as Kyle crossed the hall that was now full of voices again, and towards the boy who had gotten himself up and began brushing himself off. Another newbie, Kenny judged with a single glance.

'Here.' Kyle said, handing the boy his bread. The boy paused and looked up with cold eyes, making Kyle freeze, but not because of the anger in them. 'You!' He said.

'What are you doing.' The boy said, or asked, with his monotonous voice. Kyle tried to grin at the familiar face, but couldn't brush off the awkwardness between them. Letting out a cough, he held his bread further towards him.

'I thought you would be hungry.'

The brunet glared a shade darker at Kyle and slapped the bread out of his hand. They both watched it fall to the ground, both with their own share of shock, before the brunet regained his glare back on Kyle.

'I don't need charity. Especially from a princess-whore like you.' He spat on the bread on the floor lying beside Kyle's feet, and headed off towards the exit of the dining hall. Kyle looked at the pitiful piece of bread and picked it up, patting the dirt off of it.

'Hey, are you gonna eat that?' He heard a voice in the distance, but muttered a small confirmation before returning back to his seat beside Kenny. Kyle was still hungry, even though he had eaten most of his meal already. That brunet must be starving then, that brunet from the same van. What was his name again? Number 46659. Tucker. Craig.

'Are you gonna eat that princess-whore?' Kenny chuckled sardonically as Kyle sat back down.

'Why did he call me that?' Kyle asked, with more curiosity than hurt.

'Well I thought I already told you. You have properness and ignorance leaking out of you like a princess, and you're a whore because you sell away your charity.'

'It's not charity then is it, if I'm selling it? And why princess instead of prince?'

'Because a prince is someone like me, while you're more like a soft peach. Don't get too bruised my love.'

Kyle glared at the blond distastefully.

'Not so much of a prince on a white horse are you, if you don't go to help the ones in need.'

'Says the person who got spat on.'

Kyle's heart thumped a little before he took the dropped bread into his mouth, but at least it made it possible to ignore Kenny's sneer. It was the first time he had eaten something off the floor, or even the first time he had picked food off the ground at all. He was experiencing many new things in that one day. And it wasn't even over yet.

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**A.N: Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed it.**

**I don't have the next chapter (first time since T&R. I'm updating as I go), I don't have a plan, I don't even have a pairing or even more shockingly, an ending, which is the first time. The only thing I have are ideas. If I continue, this is going to be a big journey. Not all chapters are gonna be this long though I think.**

**Please review if you care for another chapter! If you don't, well, say so anyway? With reasons preferably. But flamers stay away because this shit's inflammable. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N- Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I was stoked by the reviews, which made it possible to write this long-ish chapter in not too long. And it is to you, wonderful reviewers, that I write this for. Because if it was only for my sake, then it would probably not leave my head. So I hope you enjoy~ **

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2

Kenny didn't have to tell Kyle not to follow him around like a bad smell anymore. Kyle decided on his own that he had enough of the blond's company, for now at least, until he had to face his cellmate again later. He copied the other prisoners by placing his tray on the long steel bench, but after that he was lost. Well, he knew where he was: he had memorised every path he had taken in the prison. He just didn't know what to do. He had his own routine back at home, but now, this place had its own, and Kyle's wasn't introduced to it yet.

He observed the other prisoners going off in different directions, talking to each other and going at their own pace. He passed a few doors that caught his attention such as "theatre", which he heard the most voices from, and even music. But he didn't have the urge to go into any of them. Instead he wondered if the prison had a library, but decided against asking anyone about it. He might ask Kenny sometime, when the hour came that the blond felt less need to mock him.

After the small stroll around the different floors Kyle had managed to build two things in his head: one, a brief map of where he had been, and two, an uncomfortableness of the strange attention his presence was receiving. It made him want to slouch in order to fit in, but his straight will wouldn't let him like a rod in his back. Besides, maybe the attention was just his imagination… although that meant that he was already developing paranoia. He didn't know which could be worse: an external enemy or the enemy within. He sighed silently so no one could hear, and chose to make his way back to his cell. Once he got used to it, the lights of the corridor and rooms didn't seem all that dim. He hoped the same would happen to the whole atmosphere of the place.

When he returned to his cell, Kyle noticed that Kenny hadn't returned yet. By the sound of the bells, Kyle could tell that it must be some time past nine o'clock, maybe just before half past. He would soon become able to tell the exact time, Kyle told himself.

After the heavy door shut behind him, he stood there listening to the thud, but even after it disappeared he found himself unable to move as his ears stayed on edge. A sudden nervousness struck him, like a cold wave engulfing his bones. He realised that it was the silence. It felt as if he had never experienced such a thing before. The silence, echoing against the concrete walls around him, silence piercing into him and gripping his heart, silence screaming in his head, silence drowning him, hearing him, telling him…

Kyle took a sharp breath and collapsed onto the door behind him, gripping at the cold metal for support. What did he just remember? Oh yes… His old life: his life that had died but would not yet rest in peace. He had a new life now. However long it was going to last, this was his new life, and he was still an infant. Kyle began to regain his breath, ending with a long exhale before moving and falling onto his bed. He felt his weight sink into the mattress, and although he was exhausted and empty, he somehow felt that he had gained more weight. He let out another sigh to see if the weight would leak out of him with the breath, and it seemed to work a little.

He opened his eyes to find the other bed in his vision, and realised why it was so quiet. It was his first time to be properly alone in that cell. Which made him remember: that boy with the obsidian eyes! Kyle's hand drifted to the hit cheek the raven boy had touched as he recalled him. He hadn't noticed any pain in his cheek since that boy held it into his hand, nor had anyone commented on a swell or a bruise. Kyle felt like such a fool to not notice it until now, but without pain what was there to notice? Maybe the boy had been a nurse, or worked for one at least, sent to tend what that fat guard had done (although that didn't sound like something such an infamous prison would do). But if that was the case then Kyle had to thank him.

He leaned up with his elbows, wandering if he should go to look for the boy he had failed to find during dinner. If he was in his cell when he came, it meant that he belonged to the same prison block, didn't it? Kyle nodded to himself, and hopped off his bed to head towards the door, reaching out for the handle, until it opened before he could place his hand on it.

Was Kenny back? Somehow, the urge to leave to look for the obsidian-eyed boy left his head with the thought of Kenny returning. It was late, and besides, he may bump into the boy another day. He would just thank him then (or question him if he was no nurse).

But the shadow that came in from behind the door wasn't Kenny's silhouette of slim and long, but of firm and big. And the body that came in with it definitely wasn't Kenny's. Kyle stared at him, frozen and eyes wide, and found that it wasn't the first time that day that he was looking at this person. The Boy's at it again, Kenny had said during dinner. The Boy. Kyle finally jerked out of his trance as more bodies came into his cell. Not one boy, four boys.

'Who are you?' Kyle demanded, 'What are you doing here? Get out! This is not your cell!'

The boys didn't say anything, but looked around the cell, especially at Kenny's empty bed.

'The Prince isn't here.' The big one said. The other three boys confirmed and shut the heavy door behind them, and to Kyle's dread, without getting out first. Kyle wanted to repeat his questions again, but they didn't seem to want to leave his mouth. He was gritting his teeth while staring at the big one. He had his sleeves ripped, with thick arms glaring from underneath, which Kyle remembered observing at dinner, and his skin was covered in permanent ink Kyle couldn't comprehend. His hair was sandy blond, or a weak brown, sticking up on his scalp like chopped grass.

'If it's Kenny you want, I think it would be better to come back another time—' Kyle managed out. It made the boy turn his vision towards him. His eyes were washed out blue, hiding deep in the shadow of his eyebrows as they furrowed gravely. They were looking at Kyle.

'No. It's not him we're here for. We're here because of a rumour that he has finally got a cellmate,' he said with a horrible smile that sneaked out with his teeth. '—a cellmate that looked as if he wanted to say something to a bully who was taking away a newbie's meal at dinner. '

Kyle felt a chill. So the big bad wolf _did_ see his face at dinner. Kenny wasn't quick enough to pull him down, away from his sight.

'So you're here for me then…' Kyle grit his teeth, crossed his arms and firmed his eyes to keep them from shaking. 'What do you want? Whatever it is, be quick. I'm tired.'

'Tired? Tired, your highness? Well, let me just help you to your bed—'

A hard fist knocked into his cheek, sending Kyle down into his bed. He held the cheek that the raven boy had mended only a few hours ago, again now aching with a new pain. He could hear sniggering coming from above him, amused by his agony. He didn't know what was so amusing about watching someone suffer; then again he didn't know many things, like this pain.

'There you go. Comfortable?' Kyle opened his tearing eyes as he felt the large boy climbing on top of him. His heart was pounding in his chest from many emotions, but they were all burning ones that made him glare, despite the warnings in his head against it. The Boy's eyebrows furrowed at this, but other than that, ignored him.

'Just do with him Trent, before the Prince gets back.' Kyle heard one of the observers say, but his eyes were still glued to the boy on top of him. He showed a speck of his teeth to him, which Kyle guessed to be a sneer.

'No. I'm gonna give him a chance…' He wrapped one palm around Kyle's neck threateningly, though without pressure to cause any pain. But it was bad enough for Kyle as he noticed that his rushing pulse was now only too obvious to the sandy blond. A little more of his teeth showed before they parted to speak. 'I will give you the offer of your dreams, kid. But be careful what you choose because you're only gonna get one chance.' He added a little pressure to Kyle's neck as if for demonstration. 'So, either you become one of us. Or you become one of our enemies.'

Kyle almost scoffed at what came out of the sandy blond's mouth.

'Become one of the people who punched me and is now choking me? No thank you.'

The Boy's nose twitched and his expression turned to a scowl at Kyle's answer.

'I'll ask you one more time Princess, and think over your answer real carefully because if you choose not to be a part of us, then you will be all alone, with him,' The Boy nodded towards Kenny's empty bed. But what he said had no affect on Kyle.

'You just said I was only going to get one chance,' Kyle said sarcastically even under the heavy discomfort of a painful cheek and a wrapped neck. The Boy flicked his gaze at this nonchalantly.

'Well, I'm giving you another.'

'Look, _Trent'_, Kyle called the name one of his followers had used for the Boy. 'You can give me a million chances but I won't take any of them to become one of you.'

Trent's face twitched again and he pushed Kyle deeper into the mattress, making the redhead grasp at Trent's pressuring hand around his throat.

'You really have no idea what you've got yourself into, have you? Who you're cellmates with— that Prince— is a real fucker. Anyone who's got a sentence of over a hundred years has got serious issues, but this guy is over double that. I bet he would have killed over two-dozen people by the age of fifteen. That's how fucked up he is. He's a monster, and a dark, dangerous one at that.'

Kyle's lips were shaking as he listened to Trent's words, but whether it was from the pressure around his neck or from the story, Trent couldn't tell. And then to his surprise, the redhead's lips turned into a shaky smile with the lift of their corners. Trent's story hadn't scared him like it was supposed to. Kyle had heard a similar story from Kenny's own mouth already, and although Trent's words carried a sense of true fear, it did not hold the slightest bit of persuasiveness to Kyle.

'Well,' the redhead said. 'At least _he_ doesn't punch me.'

Trent frowned, accepting that as Kyle's final answer, and let got of him.

'Fine then. You choose to become our enemy, we will be your enemy.'

He let another punch blow into Kyle's stomach, making Kyle cough loudly, the spit falling back onto his face like a shower. Black spots appeared in his vision, but not enough to send him into total darkness. Trent had finally got off of him and he wanted to use that chance to hug around his aching stomach, but his arms were pulled up and locked above his head. A warning flashed up in his mind and he kicked, to find that his feet were secured down as well.

'Get it over with quickly before the Prince get's back.' Kyle heard Trent's voice say, followed by the confirming cheer of his followers holding him down.

'Then get Dray to do it, he'll be the quickest!'

'Nah, he'll get it off before barely getting it in!'

'Hey, shut the fuck up!'

Kyle began to feel a burning sickness in his stomach as he listened to their disgusting laughter and voices. He knew what they were talking about; he wasn't that ignorant. Waiting for them to begin in his vulnerable state was tormenting, but he couldn't get himself to wish for them to do it and get it over with. He bit on his inner-lip and tried to block out the dreadful talking's going on around him, until one of them began to crawl up on him.

'Hope you guys don't mind if I take him then.' He laughed as he slid his hand around Kyle's inner thigh.

'Cheater!' The others cackled. 'Dirty bastard!'

Kyle was the one who wanted to shout the most as he felt the boy's hands on him, but he kept quiet. He tugged on his limbs and jerked, but the only thing it won was laughter from the boys around him. —So this was it. His first day and he had to experience it all. —He closed his eyes in resignation, and a in that darkness, a familiar face appeared behind his eyelids as if it was called from the heat of another's skin on his. His lips shook as he mouthed the name of that face in his memory, but there was no answer…

A sudden cold creak froze the room to silence. Kyle opened his eyes, letting the face disappear, and saw light leaking into his dark cell from the opening door. The boy that was on him jumped off and the hands holding down his wrists and ankles let go. Kyle was free, but he stayed there still, staring at the blond entering the room at this miraculous timing.

'What's this?' Kenny said, hinting in his low voice what Trent and his gang was so fearful of. 'What the fuck are you doing in my cell?'

Kyle couldn't have been happier to hear Kenny's voice, but the unfamiliar coldness of it made him forget to feel any relief. He lied still, more so than when he was held down. No one answered Kenny's question, but in response they began to exit the room one after the other.

'Later, Princess,' some of them said. Kyle rolled to face the wall and dug his nails into his aching stomach, suppressing his rage and pain. The cell turned quiet, but the door was still open and there was a piercing ice still left in the room.

'You too Boy,' Kenny's voice said again, and Kyle realised that Trent hadn't left yet.

'You're frosty. Pissed we almost got your princess?'

'I don't give two shits about him, fuckwit. What I do care about though, is the likes of you contaminating my cell with your sweat and cum. Or is that your real intention? Trying to make me puke?'

Kyle looked over his shoulder at Kenny's insult and managed to see the blond dodge Trent's rock-like fist with ease and a grin. For a second Kyle expected Trent to throw another one; he even bowled another fist as he glared at Kenny, but he kept it down and instead straightened himself up.

'Well, this cell is not only for you anymore.' Trent nodded at Kyle as he said it, and turned for the door as his followers had done. He gave Kyle a last stare as he put his hand on the handle. 'Watch your back fairy.' He said lowly, barely louder than a breath. 'You're in for it now.'

The door closed and Kyle turned towards the wall again, curling his arms around his stomach. Silence filled the room, and not exactly a comfortable either, though it was infinitely better than the vulgar laughter and voices of Trent's gang. He wondered for a second if he should thank the blond, but decided against it with Kenny's earlier words, 'I don't give two shits about him'. He wasn't exactly expecting anything more than that, but then he wondered if Kenny would have helped him at all if Trent's gang had attacked him outside of "his cell". Even worse, what would have happened if he had not come at all.

Kyle continued to dig his nails into his skin, trying to erase the feeling of another's touch with pain.

'Is this what they call "Out of the frying pan and into the fire"?' Kyle murmured to himself, but the blond seemed to have heard him. 'My situation.' He added.

'No. That's a saying for someone who's gone from a bad situation, to worse. Not for someone who's come from a good place to a bad one.'

'Oh…' Kyle said, releasing his skin from his own nails. Everything was drifting away now, even the face behind his eyelids. He let his body sink a little deeper into the mattress, wanting to close his eyes and not open them until he was able to have a dreamless sleep.

'What did they do to you?'

Kyle blinked, and turned to Kenny with confusion written on his face.

'Why would you want to know?'

Kenny shrugged, 'Because if you were to moan in pain through the night while I try to sleep, I'm gonna be really fucking pissed.'

Kyle wanted to slap himself for expecting any decent answer from the blond. He scowled to the wall, not caring if Kenny could see his expression or not.

'Then relax, because I'm fine and I will not deprive you of your sleep from any of my moans.'

'Well, you don't need to stress out too much. Wouldn't mind hearing a sexy moan or two from you.' Kyle turned and showed his teeth in disgust, which only won a cackle from Kenny in response. 'Better make sure you don't rot any of those twinkle whites in there.'

'I know!' Kyle jumped up and headed for the sink where his toothbrush waited. Kenny copied his actions, and they stood side-by-side in front of their shared sink, brushing their teeth as they stole glances of each other's speedy brushing.

'He punched me,' Kyle whinged quietly after spitting into the sink, but Kenny only smirked.

'You mean that red spot on your cheek? You got off lucky then. He could have done way worse than that with one blow.' The redhead cringed at a drool running down Kenny's chin as he talked and brushed his teeth, but he continued to talk, not giving a care. 'Work starts tomorrow. Would I be right to guess that you have never worked a day in your life?'

Kyle glared at him as he rinsed his mouth.

'Physical work is not the only type of work in this world you know.'

'Well. It's unlikely that you'd get any other type here, my princess.'

When the light was turned off and they slipped into the sheets, Kyle didn't roll over to face the cold wall again. Kenny wasn't the most delightful of companies, Kyle had to admit, but at least talking to him made him forget the nervous throb in his stomach. He had said it himself earlier, 'at least Kenny doesn't punch him'. And maybe as a cellmate, that was the most he could hope for. Maybe he had to be thankful to be with someone like Kenny, no matter what anyone else warned him of the Immortal Prince. Even if it would be impossible to become soul mates, or even simply friends, at least they wouldn't be enemies. Kyle was somehow sure of that.

'Good night Kenny,' Kyle murmured to the dark. He heard Kenny mumble an exasperated 'what the fuck' in response and chuckled silently, before sinking deeper into his hard mattress, gathering all the comfort he could possibly take. He didn't want to imagine how bad things could get from there on, but at least for now, he had peace.

.

It would have been a lie if Kyle said that he had the most comfortable sleep in his life. He woke up almost every hour or so, finding himself drenched in his own sweat and breathing like he had to fill a third lung in his chest. But every time he woke up, he found himself in a heavy silence, and without that presence of another person. He would release the strain in his muscles and sink back into the mattress, telling himself that it was just a nightmare and not real, not anymore.

As he lay there, he would begin to notice the frozen shadow lying ahead. He would remember Kenny's existence and how the blond killed his presence and became a perfect statue as he slept. Kyle would watch that shadow as he tried to fall asleep, try to copy the still silence of it. But the dreams would always get the good of him and he would toss and turn, sometimes even betray his word and moan. He had grown accustomed to those dreams… But he would never get used to them.

He woke up for the, well, he never counted how many times he woke up during the night, but when he did hear his own heavy breathing, he had found that presence of another person. He found that Kenny was looking at him with his hollow smile.

'Bad dreams?' Kyle stared at him, stopping the breath that was trying to regain itself. He didn't say anything, so Kenny shrugged. 'Nervous maybe? Can't blame you.'

'Do you have bad dreams too?'

Kenny paused at Kyle's whisper.

'I don't have dreams.'

The bell rang, breaking the tension the two held in the dark. It rang seven times and Kenny got to his feet, turning on the light. Even such a dim light was sharp to the morning eye.

'Time for breakfast,' he grinned. But Kyle didn't follow him as he headed for the door, which made the blond raise a brow. 'Aren't you gonna follow me like fish crap?'

'I stopped that yesterday.'

'Yes, and look what that got you into.'

Kyle cringed at the memory, but his mind soon turned towards the confusion for Kenny's words and his meaning behind it. It was difficult to understand this man, with almost everything that he said. He would say what he did with a light smile and playfulness in his voice, but what he was saying would be words of concern or darkness. Kyle told himself not to think too much. Anything Kenny said was probably light-hearted and held no true element, no heavy truth at least.

'I learnt my lesson,' Kyle said through tensed lips. 'I will stay away from those violent deviants. And don't worry! I won't follow you anymore like fish— crap?'

Kenny clapped his hands lightly with a laugh, giving Kyle's heart a little jump.

'Congratulations you learnt a slang! In other words, poo, excrement, shit, turd, feces, dukie, dung and King Richard the third.'

Kyle laughed, 'I didn't know there were so words for one thing!'

'My man, you have a lot to learn.' He winked, building Kyle's excitement. There was one word he didn't know that he had been hearing so many times in the prison.

'What does _fuck_ mean?'

Kenny blinked widely with a snort.

'I would rather show you what it means, but unfortunately I'm off for breakfast.'

'Just tell me then!'

'Nah. Way too entertaining. Besides, remember what I told you yesterday?'

Kyle perked his lips in irritation.

'That you don't give any information unless it has merit?'

Kenny smiled provokingly.

'Exactly.'

And the door closed behind him.

.

It was Kyle's second meal at the prison and his first meal alone. Well, not alone. Although being late he had managed to find a seat for himself next to yet another blond, who seemed to begin to twitch the second he sat beside him. But then Kyle guessed maybe the seat was free because the blond twitched and jerked like that all the time, making his presence a little distracting, if not annoying. He tried to begin a conversation with him, but it ended in vain since all the blond would do was squint and gasp and make ridiculous remarks fuelled by paranoia. All Kyle gained from his friendly attempt in the end was mild irritation.

'Don't look like that man, it'll end you!'

'What do you mean, don't look like that? I can't help how I look.'

'Gah! Don't look at me laser eyes! Blindness! I'm going blind! He's a freak!'

Kyle huffed and turned away from the loud blond, and as he did, his eyes fell on a familiar brunet at the end of the table. He was the one who had insulted him the previous day: Craig. The brunet noticed his gaze and pointed his middle finger into the air, showing it to Kyle from across the table. 'Argh! See?' The blond said beside him as he saw the gesture. Kyle could tell that it was an insult as well, but since he didn't know what it meant, he couldn't feel insulted by it. Instead he went on to feeling relieved that the boy was able to keep his meal this time. He must have gone to sleep the previous night listening to his own stomach grumble.

When the bell rang eight times, every prisoner made his way to the courtyard in the centre of the prison. Kyle had a guess for what it was for, and when he had followed the other prisoners to the green courtyard, he found that his guess was more or less correct. They were there to receive their work. There were boards rolled out with countless numbers stuck to them in different boxes. Kyle saw that the names were divided into different categories, and showed which job they had until their next change over.

Kyle started with the biggest category, the _Outside Work_ _A, B _and_ C_, but his number wasn't there. He went off to the next, _Domestic Work A_ and B, and voila, he found the number 46664 under Domestic A. He could have said that he was relieved. Domestic work seemed to be one of the easier works he could ask for, as a boy who had spent most of his life in doors. He glanced over at the other, smaller categories, such as _Amusement_ and _Infirmary_, and then he changed his idea about having one of the better works as he found the category, _Librarian_.

'There _is_ a library?' He gasped to himself, but strangely, there were no names under the category of his dreams. Maybe there wasn't a library after all. Kyle couldn't think of a reason why a prison would keep a library, although they did have a cinema. And then he wandered how many of these prisoners, mostly from the slums, would be able to read at all.

He wasn't being discriminative, but learning to read and write required the education that the slums did not have access to. He was told that other than the private tutoring he had received, the lower classes had public education where they learnt in large groups under one teacher, and then there were the people who lived outside the walls in the slums, where they received no education at all. Although he liked learning, at first Kyle was jealous of such people who weren't forced to do it. But that idea didn't last long in his mind, and coming to prison had consolidated it. The people here had no future. Education led to a future, and Kyle had it, but he had let it go when he had done what he had done.

'Okay, Domestic work A!' Kyle snapped out of his thoughts with the call of his group and headed towards the guard who had just called it out. Another twenty or so boys had joined the group and the guard began to call out each prisoner number. Kyle answered when he heard his number, but he was soon distracted as he heard a familiar voice call out of the crowd.

'Hey Kyle! It's sure nice to see you in the same labour group as me.' He came over as they followed the guard to their new workstation.

'Oh, hey Butters,' Kyle replied with a smile, yet still being unable to erase the mixed feelings he had for the short blond. He was glad he had someone he knew though, he guessed, someone that wasn't part of Trent's group at least. 'Nice to see you too.'

It was only too obvious of what their work would be when they had arrived at the kitchen. Kyle was shocked by the sheer size of it, but then realised how many people they were meant to feed. He was beginning to feel quite nervous, for the fact that he had never been near fire or even held a knife, well… for the sake of cooking at least. There was going to be one guard watching them and one chef supervising them as they cooked, which Kyle couldn't decide whether he liked or not.

'As being on the meal roll, you will have a different schedule from everyone else,' the chef began, appearing as if he had even more authority than the guard. 'You will be spending as much time as you sleep in here. You will be in this kitchen at 5 a.m. sharp, every morning until dinner is served at seven. Breakfast must be ready at 7 a.m., lunch at 1 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. Delays will not be tolerated, but that will not happen for I will be here watching every time you waste. You will have a forty-five minute break after every meal as the B team clean up, and then free time after dinner like any other prisoner.'

Kyle was making a list of every rule stated. The two main rules were to be on time and to treat the food as if it were pure gold.

'Any disrespect towards any food or utensil in this kitchen will send you to the slaughterer and you will be served by rats like yourselves. Questions? I didn't think so.'

They were each given a different assignment as the menu and recipe were written on a large black board at the front. Kyle was pretty impressed by the facilities and the chef's passion, until he was received his work.

'What's this?' Kyle asked as he took it into his hand. Kyle's partner for the job looked at him with a raised brow at his strange question.

'You've never seen taters before?'

'Taters? What's taters?'

'Poe-tay-toes,' his partner snapped, irritated by Kyle's ignorance.

'This is a potato?'

The boy snorted but said nothing more and went to trimming the lively roots growing out of the potato and skinning it clean. Kyle gulped and tried to copy his actions, but his hands didn't seem to want to listen to him.

'Ouch!'

'Watch it now! Are you tryin' to feed a vampire or some'in?'

Kyle licked his finger and immediately cringed with the taste of iron in his mouth. He was only through his ninth potato, and he was already through his third finger. He sighed. This was going to be a long day.

.

By the time the bell rang eight times that evening, Kyle was exhausted. He had only just finished his dinner and was into his free time of the day, but he couldn't care about anything but sleep, or even just lying there where he had collapsed on his bed. He couldn't count how many times he was shouted at for cutting the skin of the potatoes too thick or how slow he was doing it. He was sick of the inmates joking about having their pasta 'al dente' as he served them, which he began to count after the fifth time. He smirked though, as he remembered Kenny being one of them. But then he groaned, as he knew that he was in for another day of potatoes tomorrow, and the day after unless he magically improved his skill.

It was still early, but he had an early day ahead of him. Kyle stood up to brush his teeth, and then collapsed back onto his bed a few minutes later, falling into unconsciousness as he hit the mattress. But only an hour later he woke up by the sound of his cell door opening and closing.

'Hey sleeping beauty. How was your first day of work? New experience, huh?'

Kyle looked through the corner of his eye and moaned with fatigue.

'Was it good?'

Kenny blinked, and then smirked at Kyle's tired murmur of a question.

'It was good don't worry. Except for the some of the exceptionally small potatoes. Someone must have had real trouble skinning them.'

Kyle sighed into his pillow, which only made Kenny laugh again.

'You'll get used to it,' Kyle heard Kenny say. 'You'll get used to many things here.'

.

Kyle was surprised that what Kenny had said was true. By the next day his skinning of the potatoes had improved so much that he was able to go onto cutting them. He even thought that by the next week he would be able to work with the fire, not that he was too thrilled with the flame. There was also another factor that he was getting used to: his new partner, Butters.

At first, Kyle had had mixed feeling towards him from his first impression. But when Kyle was able to let go of that foul joke Butters had said on his first day, then Butters was a sweet person. He was nice. Kyle even wished that he had a cellmate like Butters (instead of that cold teaser Kenny), but then thought that maybe that would be too much. He began to feel as if he was making a friend. A friend… Kyle had never had such a thing in his life. Well, one, but that was years ago and he would probably be forgotten by now. So to think that he would maybe actually be able to make a proper friend!

'So. What are you in for Kyle?'

Kyle turned his round eyes to Butters at the sudden question.

'Why?'

'Well. Everyone is in for something, aren't they?'

Kyle turned back to his carrot and continued to shave the white hairs away.

'My cellmate told me that I shouldn't go saying it to people.'

'Really? That's strange. Everyone says it here as if it was some kind of stance, like showing off a trophy.'

'Are they proud of what they've done?' Kyle asked in disbelief.

'No, it's not that. It's just that some people think that it shows how tough they are: that they shouldn't be messed with. That's why some people even lie about their crimes too, or exaggerate more like.'

Kyle thought Butters' words over, and remembered how Kenny had told him what he was in for soon after they had met. At the time he thought that the crime was so horrible that Kenny had said it to intimidate him. And maybe that was right after all. Although Kyle still couldn't think of why someone as intimidating (when he wanted to be) as Kenny would want to scare _him_.

'Even so I don't really want to say my crime.' Kyle said as he drifted out of his thoughts with the sound of his flicking knife. 'It is still too soon for me.'

'Well, I guess we don't need to know all of each other before we're even proper friends yet, especially the bad parts. But, if you don't mind that is, I would like to be able to call you my friend.' Kyle looked up at that special word, and found Butters smiling at him. 'There's something I want to show you. Do you have any plans for after dinner?'

'In this prison? Nothing in particular.'

'Then come to my cell! I want to show you something. I won't take long, I promise.'

Kyle smiled warmly.

'Sure. I'll go.'

He paused for a second, looking at his carrot. He didn't want to question the company of someone who was befriending him, but sometimes he would feel a strain in his head as he listened to Butters talk, and it was there again now. Kyle blinked and shook his head. The only reason why Butters seemed so queer was because he was so different from the other prisoners. He was nice and friendly, in a non-intimidating way, and they were moving towards becoming friends. Butters' offer was another step towards friendship, and Kyle took it gratefully.

Kyle's hands worked a little faster with excitement for that night, as if it would help the time go faster.

.

Dinner had finally came and Kyle made sure that he ate fast enough so that Butters didn't need to wait for him. He was a slow eater as he tried to keep the manners he had in his old life in tact. On the other hand, the blond's food seemed to disappear like snow on a sunny day even with Butters' constant talking. Although the blond's talking had a lack of content and a fair amount of stutter, it comforted Kyle rather than the loud and foul voices of the other inmates. It was like background music. He didn't have to respond to it, just let it leak through his ears. But Kyle had to admit, he did long for a nice long silence once in a while.

'So this is my cell.' Butters looked back to Kyle as he approached his cell door. 'I like it because it's close to the stairs. It's what helps me get an early meal and a free seat! It's a quick journey to the dining hall.'

Kyle followed Butters into the room. He was interested to compare it to his own, but before he could look around, one specific figure caught his eye, one specific person who was already in the room: Butters' cellmate.

'Oh, hey!' Butters said as he noticed him as well. 'You're back early. I brought my friend to show him something, hope you don't mind.'

Butters' cellmate didn't look at the blond, and it appeared as if he hadn't even heard his words. He had his eyes fixed on Kyle, swallowing him with his gaze. A smile began to grow on his face that Kyle couldn't return in any form.

'Not at all Butters,' he said, still without looking at his cellmate. 'In fact, I wouldn't mind having a small chat with him myself.'

'You know each other?' Butters asked with a raised brow. He wasn't answered, but he took that as a "yes". 'Huh. Okay. I'll go pee, and leave you some privacy then. Won't take a minute!'

Kyle turned with alarm at Butters' words to find the door closing behind him, about to leave Kyle alone with his cellmate.

'Wait, Butters—' Kyle reached for the closing door, but a hand grabbed his wrist and ripped him back, crashing him down into the mattress as the sound of the door closing echoed in the cell. Kyle gasped in pain as his arm was twisted behind his back, not knowing that such pain could be inflicted with such a light twist of the joints.

'Well, look what the cat dragged in,' the boy hissed above him with a low glimmer in his words.

'Stop!' Kyle managed out through the closing of his throat. 'Trent —let go!'

He was finally released and Kyle jumped off the bed, grasping his aching left arm as he stared hard with glistening eyes to the boy sitting on the bed.

'Didn't think you'd be his cellmate…'

'Didn't think you'd be his _friend_,' Trent cracked a laugh.

Kyle bit on his lip as he tried to strengthen the flame in his eyes. There was a cold grin on Trent's lips that Kyle could neither deny nor admit that made him nervous to the bones. He let go of his painful arm and searched for the door handle, keeping his eye contact with Trent as if he was a wild predator that would pounce the minute he broke their eye contact. It seemed to work, since Kyle felt the cold knob on his fingertips, but before he could grasp it properly, Trent jumped up at him. A thick palm crashed into his shoulder, shoving his back into the wall with a slam that sent the breath out of his lungs as a cough. He wanted to curl and breathe, but Trent's thick forearm dug into his neck, keeping him secured against the wall.

'Don't think I'll let you go so easy. I'm gonna treasure this chance I've received with in my cell.' Trent grinned, raising his forearm to Kyle's chin to tilt his face up and meet his cold eyes.

'Butters will be back in a few minutes…' Kyle managed to keep a strong voice without gulping, but it only stretched Trent's lips further to now show a glimpse of his teeth.

'You'll be amazed with what I can do to you in just a few minutes.'

* * *

**A.N- Is this what you call a cliff hanger? That is so unlike me. **

**Thank you for reading! Leave a comment to make me write? Your choice.**

**Oh, and I know. More OOC, but I can't help it since it's AU and the characters have different backgrounds. Sorry. But which do you prefer? OOC or OC? Or another alternative…**

**Until next time! Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew.  
**


	3. Chapter 3

3

Trent's thick arm pressing into his neck slipped away, but instead of the uncomfortable pressure, a sharp pain burnt his scalp as he was grabbed by the hair and slammed into the door behind him. The metal rang, a low eerie sound, harmonising with Kyle's yelp and the thud of his body hitting the ground. Kyle clasped the back of his head that had contacted the metal and could already feel a small bump appearing behind his hair. It hurt, but only more pain could come from there. A hard foot dug into his stomach and then his hips, making him roll over to slam his shoulder into the leg of Butters' bed. Another impact came into his back, making him choke on the pain, but his mind began to sit in. Kyle grasped onto the bed's pipe and hurled himself into the corner, dodging another kick Trent had aimed at him.

'Fucking snake!' Trent spat and again aimed his foot at Kyle, now pressed into the corner between the bed and the wall, but this time it was him who had got the kick. With his hands securing him tight between the wall and the bed, Kyle had shot a firm kick into Trent's shin, making the bigger boy cringe. It wasn't a satisfactory reaction, so Kyle kicked again and again desperately, using his kicks as a shield against Trent's own violence. Most of them hit air, but Kyle could feel some of them hitting Trent, although without causing much harm. His frantic kicking only stopped when he was grabbed around the ankle, keeping his leg lifted in mid-air. Kyle froze and looked up at Trent in horror, and saw his teeth as Trent's lips curled into his sneer. The next second, Kyle was pulled by the ankle, only being stopped from being flung by his hands still gripping onto the bed's leg and the cold wall. A new fear rushed cold fluid through his body, and Kyle knew that if he were to let go, he would be pulled into hell. The warning made him kick again with his free leg, fighting against Trent's free hand that was trying to grab him as well. Fingers grasped at his toes but he managed to slip away, kicking again and again, until his foot finally got a good hit at Trent, and where else but his groin.

Trent finally showed the reaction Kyle had hoped for. He let go of Kyle and kneeled on the ground, grasping at his crotch, sweat beginning to form on his face and neck. Kyle immediately jumped up to his feet, but stood there for a second staring at Trent's pain. He felt his own heat flow away from his face as he looked at what he had done, but that didn't last long. His mind kicked back in and he dashed out of Trent's cell, completely forgetting about his promise with Butters. He couldn't care though; he ran. He ran and ran, until he crashed into someone with his running force, finally stopping with a small shock. No one fell back onto his butt from the impact; instead, Kyle was caught by two arms as if he was a flying ball instead of a runaway train.

'Thank you,' Kyle gasped, regaining his thoughts with every breath he took. But with a blink, Kyle realised his situation, and jumped out of the unknown arms that had secured him to a stop. His eyes widened as he saw whom he had bumped into, and he felt the blood drift away from his face. It was that guard… Marsh.

'Are you alright?' Kyle was asked with a gentle voice. It was one of the most sincere voices he had heard since he had entered, and it was from a guard! Kyle couldn't help but furrow his brows in confusion, and then again, maybe it made sense that guards (non-criminals) would be nicer than inmates… Or maybe it was just this one in particular. Kyle opened his mouth to answer, but Stan was pushed out of his vision and a sudden grip grasped onto the collar, letting Kyle notice his presence.

'You again,' a new, simmering voice said. But Kyle knew this voice too. He opened his eyes into slits and glared at the guard holding him menacingly by the shirt. He knew this fat guard too. He had burnt that foul name into his head on the first day: Cartman. There was a gleam in his eye and his lips curled, but Kyle couldn't tell if it was a sneer or a scowl. 'You better fucking watch it cocksucker. No running. You never know who you'll bump into.' Kyle looked straight into his eyes but didn't say anything, and the curl of Cartman's lips became more apparent of being a scowl. 'Answer me!' He spat, shaking Kyle by his grip.

'Cartman!' Marsh hissed under his voice, and the fat guard looked back, huffing slightly from the excitement. For a second Kyle thought that he was going to shout back, but he felt the tension in Cartman's body release through the grip around his chest.

'What the fuck is with you Marsh? Did he suck you off or something?'

'No. It's just that _you're_ acting as if _you_ want him to suck you off.'

Cartman twitched, and turned his eyes back to Kyle with a piercing ice in them. Kyle didn't know what they were talking about, but could feel the prickling atmosphere building between them. His heart was thumping in his chest, almost shaking against his ribs, as he looked up at Cartman. The fat guard clicked his tongue as their eyes met, and pulled Kyle by his collar, throwing him into the wall beside them. Kyle gasped as the air shot out of his lungs. He grasped his arms and slowly slid down the wall as the guards walked away. He touched the bottom and sat there still, not showing a sign of getting back up.

He froze there against the wall, the nervousness of what had happened since he had entered Trent and Butters' cell finally beginning to sit into his conscious. He was finally beginning to feel the fear and pain that he was able to keep out now that relief was sinking in. And then he began to ask himself: was this for becoming close with Butters? Was this God's way of telling him that he didn't deserve friends?

Or was there a God at all?

.

There are thick summer clouds growing in the sky, blocking the sun and cutting off its rays into large glowing swards piercing the earth. But I can't see where the light lands because of the tall walls that surround the mansion. For now my parents are away and the servants are not watching my every move, a rare thing, but I think it is due to my tendency to keep out of trouble, unlike my brother. Speaking of which, he is not stuck to my hip now either. I feel free, and I guess that is why I see the sky preparing for the sun to set to be so beautiful and magnificent. It makes me want to climb onto the roof to get closer to it, but if I am to be found, the action will not be forgotten. Maybe in the night if I'm let alone I will be able to climb up, and see the star sky that I hope to be as beautiful as the sky right now.

Narrowing my eyes slightly from the brightness, I swim my gaze through the sky, and in the orange light I see a bird fly over the wall and land on the lands of my mansion. It is not really a bird since it is man-made and not alive, and neither does it look to be an attempt of one. It looks more like one of the planes I've seen in my books, an old human invention that is supposed to carry people through air. I take the small plane that landed within the walls and observe that it's made out of hard paper and a wood frame. I smile at it in excitement, because I know that it must belong to a child. A child like myself! Just behind that wall, probably wondering about this plane.

Despite the conversation I just had with myself, I climb up a tree growing beside wall. I'm not scared of climbing as much as my servants are when I do; I don't even care for the unpleasantness of the sharp bark sticking into my skin. In a strange way, it makes me feel a part of the world. I finally climb close to the top to where a thick branch grows out and over the wall. I crawl across it as if it is a bridge with no ending, until I'm hanging off the borders of my house. The wind, cool and liberating, seems to be stronger up here.

I look down, and on the ground looking up at me with wide eyes, is a boy. He seems older than me, but only by a year or two. I hold the plane up into the air, and he finally blinks as he sees it.

'Is this yours?' I call down. It takes him a second, but he nods. 'Do you want it back?' It takes him an even longer second, but he ends up with a nod again. I smile, but draw the plane back in beside me. 'I'll give it back to you. But under one condition.' What is it, he cries. His voice is lower than mine, but even with just three words it speaks out his gentle nature. It makes my smile grow and I wish I could just jump off of the branch and run to him.

'Become my friend!' I answer back. He forgets to blink again, which I find funny. He doesn't answer, but I take his reaction as a yes. 'My name is Kyle! What's yours?' He stutters, and clears his throat, and then restates it. This time, his name is carried clearly to my ears.

I call his name. It seems so perfect as it rolls off my tongue, and I guess he thinks so too, from the lighting of his eyes. I raise the plane up once again, presuming that this is how to make it fly.

'It's a promise then!' I say, about to return the plane to him, but a voice stops me.

'Wait!' He calls and waves his arms in the air. I blink at him, confused, until he continues. 'Keep it! As a token of our friendship.'

A feel a strong warmth fill my heart, and I've never felt such a thing before. It's so beautiful it almost brings tears to my eyes, but I don't know if it's because of his words, or because of the setting sun's light breaking through the clouds and landing on my back. My arm relaxes and I take the plane down to my lap.

'Thank you…' I say to him, and a strong, yet small smile reaches my lips. 'But in return, it will mean so much to me if you will catch this as I make it fly.' I raise my arm into the air. 'As a token of our friendship.' And swing my arm forward, letting the plane go. It flies straight, soaring through the air, and the boy below kicks his feet, chasing it as it flies. I watch him, waiting for the moment for him to catch it into his hands. The plane slowly sinks down, and his hand flies up. And at that second that he is about to catch the plane, I jump at the sudden call of my name, and swing my head back in reaction.

'Kyle! What are you doing up there! Come down, before you hurt yourself!' My heart that jumped at my brother's voice begins to calm along with my breath. I sigh and begin to climb down the tree. He repeats his question again as I land down back behind the wall, and I wonder how to answer him. I don't know why, but I want to keep my new and only friendship deep inside myself. As if it is something sacred, like a secret haven.

'I thought I saw a bird's nest,' I say, 'but it was just my imagination…' My brother sighs at my answer and grabs my hand to pull me back towards the mansion. I let him pull me, but I take a small glance back over my shoulder, although knowing that I won't see anything except for the wall.

I don't have the urge to climb up on the roof anymore. I am at the highest that I can be. But somehow I feel so lonely. I don't know if it's because of the melancholically beautiful sky, but if I can't jump over that wall to embrace my new friend, I just want to be left alone with nothing to distract me from this new feeling that has just been born inside me.

.

Kyle opened his eyes and swang his head up, but the guards were not in his sight anymore. His heart was racing, somehow because of the sudden memory that had played through his mind, and he clutched the cloth above his chest as if it hurt underneath. Why did that memory suddenly appear in his head? That memory of his only ever friend?

There was a pause, and Kyle had to break it with a blink and a shake of the head. He cleared his mind and continued: was it because he suddenly had doubts about becoming friends with Butters? But why should he stop becoming friends with Butters just because he shared a cell with Trent? He could avoid his cell: that was all. Kyle got to his feet although his mind was still in thought, and pondered in the direction of his cell, his fist almost comically placed to his chin as he continued to think. It was amazing how Butters didn't seem to hold even the slightest sense of vigilance towards his menacing cellmate. Didn't Trent frighten him at all? Was Butters that pure, or did Trent leave him alone? Why would he do that? Or to flip that question upside-down, why wouldn't Trent leave _Kyle_ alone?

Kyle had arrived at his door and stood there like a doll, unable to enter without first putting an end to his thoughts. Kyle's heart was thumping quickly, but he couldn't hear it, since he was reaching something that would end his thoughts. There was a possible answer to that question, Kyle thought, or two, as to why Trent wouldn't leave Kyle alone. One was because Kyle was Kenny's cellmate, who Trent seemed to have a thing or two against; and two, because of Kyle's deadly sin. But either way, the information would have to have been given to Trent first, and Kyle had no memory of mentioning either to anyone… Kyle blinked, and swang his face up to look at his door, his eyes blazing as if he could look through it. With subtle force, Kyle finally pushed himself inside. The door closed behind him, and he watched as Kenny eyed him with a raised brow; but on Kyle's face was alarm.

'After telling me that I shouldn't go around talking about my crime,' Kyle began without blinking, 'did you do it instead?'

'What?'

'After appearing as if to keep things secret, have you been going around telling people that we're cellmates?'

Kenny was not smiling anymore now that the confusion had flowed away. Without his light smile to soften his expression, his eyes were just too cold, but Kyle didn't notice it since his head was focusing on nothing but his thoughts. Even as he lay there, Kenny seemed to be the one looking down on him.

'Why would you ask that?'

'Because then how do I explain why Trent is after me? Why would he know that I'm your cellmate?'

Kenny slowly placed his hands behind his head and leaned back, knotting his fingers together, but not letting a single tension leave his still face.

'And why would you assume that I would be the one going around telling people about this? You could have someone watching you easily enough, if you yourself haven't mentioned it to anyone.'

'I haven't been! Not to anyone but you, after your warning,' Kyle spat. 'And I don't have anyone watching me, sneaking behind my back! I would have noticed that much, and it's not like we have been going in and out of this cell together, except for that once for dinner on the first day. Besides, none of Trent's group of kids seemed fit to be spying around. So I've been led to think that maybe you haven been going around telling people—'

Kenny jumped up, irritation beginning to make his still face twitch. He took his fierce step to close his gap between Kyle and shoved his palm over Kyle's mouth, stopping any more annoying words from coming out.

'So what if I did tell?' Kenny hissed through his teeth. 'My mouth may have slipped a word or two over a casual conversation with someone, but why should that be a matter of mine? Have I promised a secrecy with you? No I haven't, because I don't care. Just because I gave you a head's up on the first day does not mean that I am your baby sitter. I thought I already made that clear.'

A blaze flashed in Kyle's eye and he swang his fist forwards at the boy holding his mouth shut, but Kenny didn't even bother to dodge it, letting the blow hit his shoulder. Kyle froze at Kenny's reaction, or the lack of; his hit didn't even make Kenny blink.

'Your punch wouldn't hurt a fly.' Kenny murmured, letting his palm slide off of Kyle's mouth. '… And I haven't told anyone anything. I would rather not let too many people know that I'm cellmates with a fucking pixie. Which means, it goes back to the possibilities of it either being you letting your mouth slip, or there being someone keeping an eye on you, in not such a delightful way.'

Kyle looked like he wanted to say something, and his mouth was free, but he didn't let it out. Kyle knew that he himself hadn't said anything, so it must be the latter. But then who would it have been watching him? Someone who hated him most likely, or at least found him an eyesore… But who would already hate him, after being there for only a week? Or to be more accurate, after being there for only a few hours before Trent attacked his cell on the first day? But someone hated him and wanted him hurt. That was for certain.

.

It was over a week since Kyle began his work in the kitchen and the next turn over was quickly approaching. By this time he was beginning to give up on two things: moving on in his work to doing anything more than skinning and chopping, and the other, becoming "friends" with Butters. But then again, what did it exactly mean to be friends? Maybe it wasn't a term two people agree on to be, like that boy he met all those years ago. Maybe instead, it was something you gradually become with another person over time of bonding, in which case, couldn't he already be friends with Butters?

'Why weren't you there when I came back Kyle?' Butters asked the day after the incident in his cell. Kyle looked up, now without having to stop his hands skinning a potato as he did.

'Didn't Trent tell you?'

'Trent? Oh no,' Butters said with an almost comical shake of the head, 'he only said you left, and I didn't want to force anything out of him. He doesn't like to talk much, the Boy.'

'Why is he called that?' Kyle asked, stopping his hands to concentrate more on the words.

'The Boy? I think it comes from his last name, but I'm not sure.' Kyle didn't say anything, just looked back down and resumed his skinning. But Butters' eyes were still round. 'So? Why didn't you wait for me?'

'I got a sudden stomach ache,' Kyle answered, which wasn't so far from the truth. The sudden blow to his stomach did give him an ache. Butters ahh-ed and left it at that. Kyle wondered whether Butters would reinvite him to his cell, but he didn't, and Kyle was glad. He wouldn't be able to go back there again, and wouldn't want to explain why if he had to refuse a second offer.

'It's almost the end. I can't say I'm too excited. I always enjoy being on the meal role, although we have to wake up earlier.'

'Do you think we would be in the same group again?' Kyle asked hopefully, and Butters' smile dropped, although only a hint.

'I don't think so…' Butters said. 'No I don't think we will… Shame.'

'Shame?'

'Well, of course. I liked being with you. You're nice. I'm lucky to have been able to make such a good friend.'

Kyle swang his head up, almost dropping his potato on the floor. He wasn't smiling, but a glowing shine was in his eyes at Butters' word. He had used it briefly in his cell to Trent, but Kyle thought that was to avoid further explaining.

'Friend? Are we really friends?'

'Of course!' A warm smile crept onto Butters' lips. 'Don't you think so?'

Kyle didn't respond with words, but a great happy smile spread across his face, almost bright enough to light a way through a dark tunnel. It made Butters chuckle, and it wasn't blown away even with the chef's shout to get their hands moving and not their mouths. Kyle was no longer anxious about the work changeover; he felt as if he could face anything.

.

There was a wide smile spread across Kyle's face as he remembered Butters' words from earlier. He tried to contain the obvious rise of his lips as he walked through the corridors, but the smile made his eyes twinkle almost unnaturally. No one came up to him though, with the intention of trying to wipe that grin off of his face, which made him feel even luckier of a person.

'What are you smiling at?'

Kyle blinked, and then the loud thud behind him made his smile twitch as Kenny's words sunk in.

'Can't I smile? You smile all the time.'

'Well, my smile doesn't make people want to punch me in the face.'

'Yes, because it sends chills down their spines.' Kyle said, dropping himself on his bed. 'Or is that your intention?'

The blond didn't say anything; just simply looked straight at Kyle without blinking. As if to fulfil Kyle's words, a small shiver licked Kyle's spine, which somehow seemed to be a confirmation to his question. Yet the chill quickly turned to warmth in Kyle's chest and he dropped onto his bed. Why was this person always trying to intimidate people, whether it was with a smile or a story? You're repeating that question again! Kyle told himself, and shook the thoughts out his head. He rolled over restlessly on his mattress trying to relax into rest, but gave up and sat up with his legs crossed facing Kenny, looking up and down with a testing glance at the blond. He finally couldn't containe it and cleared his throat.

'Well, to answer your question, unlike you answering mine' Kyle murmured at the end, but straightened up again, 'I am smiling because I have a friend.'

The redhead almost thought he detected a twitch in the end of Kenny's eyebrow at his word, but didn't say anything as he waited for a response with a grin.

'A friend?' Kyle nodded. Kenny rolled his eyes, 'and I thought you got your first fuck or something. Why would you be happy about _that_?'

'He's my first friend!' Kyle said taken aback. 'I think he's your friend too actually. You came to his table to talk to him on my first day here. Butters.'

There was a pause in Kenny with Kyle's naming, but it was only brief, and soon flowed into an expression of comprehension, as if everything now made sense.

'Let me guess: because he's a sweet and cuddly teddy bear?'

Kyle's smile quivered.

'Because he's nice,' he corrected. Kenny grunted, but didn't seem to care.

'It would be better if you didn't.'

His voice was bland, but the words were strong enough to Kyle to make his smile begin to fade.

'It would be better if I don't what?'

'It would be better if you don't become friends with Butters…' Kenny looked down, blinking as if rushing through his thoughts. 'If you don't become friends with anyone…'

Kyle's smile had completely disappeared. Instead, now, there was a tight frown on his face with only his eyes simmering as he looked at Kenny.

'Is this more of you giving me advice? After repeatedly telling me that you don't care about me, you're telling me that I would be better off isolated? Like you?' Kyle's feet dropped firmly on the ground, making Kyle stand straight and tall as he looked down on Kenny. 'Well I'm sorry, but I'm not scared with connecting with other people like you are.'

The air around Kenny froze. His habitual smile began to fade, but more subtly than Kyle's, and with a glint in his eyes as he looked up to him.

'Scared?'

'Yes, that's it!' Kyle stated strongly, not even blinking to Kenny's cold look. 'You're scared! That's why you try to intimidate everyone, even little me! You're a coward.'

Kenny stood up at that word, looking down on Kyle with his glint now burning in his eyes. It made Kyle's heart race, but he didn't want to back down. Kenny's eye twitched at this, and he slid his hand into Kyle's hair, gripping at it as if his eyes weren't enough to intimidate Kyle already.

'What did you say?'

Kyle gulped, and placed his hand on top of Kenny's that held him by his curls.

'I said…' his breath quivered as he tried to work his hair free out of Kenny's grip. 'You are a coward!' Kyle kicked Kenny in the shin (from experience), making him slide his hand out of Kyle's hair in the impact. Kyle took the chance and bolted, out of anger and not fear, out of his room and into the corridor. Maybe it was Kyle's exasperated huff or the loud sound of his door closing behind him, but when he let out a heavy breath he noticed a few interested eyes looking his way.

'What's up? Did your boyfriend play it too rough on you?' One of the prisoners mocked, causing Kyle's frustration to rise a level higher than it already was.

'He is _not_ my _friend_!' Kyle snarled through his teeth. The cackling prisoner blinked at this response, and said nothing as Kyle stomped his way down the corridor.

He didn't have a destination, but had an aim to cool his head and wait for Kenny to cool down as well (or warm up rather, from the frosty state Kyle had caused). He wouldn't take his time; just a quick stroll before the lights went out. Many prisoners had returned back to their cells by now, but there were still a few standing around, spending the last few minutes chatting before lights out. It wasn't that there was a strict rule to stay in their cell after lights out, but they were forced to by the sheer eeriness of the darkened corridors. Even Kyle knew (thanks to Butters) the risk of walking around after the lights went out. Apparently some people never return if they go out to take a nighttime stroll, but that was just a prison legend.

Kyle approached the end of the corridor and moved out of the way of a small group of people climbing up the stairs to return to their cells. Probably from the cinema, Kyle told himself. He turned around as well to follow suit and return back to his own cell, but that thought was shot out of his head by a strong impact to his back.

'Shit!' A voice gasped at the back, half muffled by Kyle's shirt. 'Sorry, I'm in a hurry.'

'It's okay,' Kyle murmured, trying to smile with his tensed lips. The voice seemed timid, but shaky, and with no intimidation in it to Kyle; although Kyle couldn't help by wish for the boy to keep on scattering away. But the boy didn't do that; instead his eyes widened as he looked at Kyle, although they were eyes Kyle felt no familiarity to.

'Kyle?'

'Yes?' Kyle answered in reaction. The boy sighed with what seemed to be relief.

'I was just going to call you at your cell. It's so lucky I found you here!'

'Why? Who are you?' The redhead asked, bewildered, as the boy kept on tugging at him.

'I was— I came for Butters,' the boy said, gaining Kyle's attention with that single name. 'You're his friend, right?'

'Yes…' Kyle answered, trying to feel the reality in it as he did.

'Then you must come! Please, he's in trouble!'

'Trouble?' Kyle gasped. The boy nodded.

'He's being attacked by _the Boys_. Hurry!'

The boy tugged on him again, but this time Kyle followed the direction the hand pulled him towards. He forgot about Kenny and the fact that the lights would be out any minute, for only one thing was on his mind. He didn't fear anything, except for the safety for his— friend. Trent… Kyle called that distasteful name in his head and grit his teeth.

They ran down the stairs two stories down, exiting the staircase on the communion-service floor, where the lights were already turning off. They rushed past another few people returning back to their cells, and Kyle even ran into one of them out of his desperateness. 'Sorry,' Kyle barely managed to the inmate he bumped into, before resuming his running.

Kyle's feet regained its pace before his hot head turned back, but when he did turn straight, the thoughts of Butters managed to disappear from his mind. Everything seemed to turn so slow even as he ran no slower, for that long brief second he ran past another boy. Kyle stared at him, eyes wide, and he seemed to be looking at him too. It was the boy with the obsidian eyes he met on the first day who Kyle was unable to find ever since. He didn't seem to move an inch, but Kyle felt his eyes following him as he past by, like eyes of a painting following you in a room. Kyle wanted to stop and call to him, and then remembered what he was running for, and turned his mind back to Butters and the trouble he was presumably in.

'He's in there,' the boy stopped, pointing at one of the doors ahead. Kyle noticed it to be the cinema room. 'You go ahead, please. I'll go for more help.' And the boy ran off before Kyle could say a single word in response.

The nerves began to prickle him now that he was left alone; but he couldn't turn back, not while Butters was in trouble. The boy would be back soon with more help… Kyle nodded to himself. All he needed to do was buy some time, and he knew how Trent worked, he thought, he wished, he hoped. And Kyle did have one plan up his sleave to use if he had no other choice, which was based on the grounds that Trent hated him more than his innocent cellmate. Kyle took a deep breath and moved his legs towards the cinema. He was scared, but he wasn't smart enough to give in to that instinct to save himself.

He entered the room and tensed his body to a stop. It was dark, but his eyes were already adjusted to let him see enough details of the room and the people in it. There were four people bundled up, but before Kyle took his time to recognise any of them he immediately focused on Butters. At least, that _was_ him wasn't it? The blond held back by one of the figures with his head dangling down heavily? Kyle's heart thumped coldly.

'Stop!' he cried, gaining the group's attention before building the intention to. 'Let go of him.'

No one said anything, only stared, but Butters slowly raised his head as if Kyle's voice had drawn him out of unconsciousness.

'Kyle…' He smiled, but that smile instantly faded as he hit realisation. 'Don't come here! It's dangerous! They'll hurt you too!'

'Yeah princess,' one of the larger figures turned to Kyle, letting the redhead notice him to be none other than Trent. There was a heavy grin beginning to form on his lips. 'We will hurt you too.'

Kyle didn't say anything with his mouth, but his eyes narrowed in anger and disgust. He picked up a chair from beside him and pointed the thin pipe legs at the gang, trying his best to appear intimidating.

'Maybe. But you won't be hurting him anymore.'

Trent's grin was subtler now, almost without any trace of a lift of the lips, but it seemed more menacing in its nature and the coldness of it. He took a step towards Kyle, making the redhead point the legs at the Boy defensively.

'To be honest, you may be right.' Trent said, continuing his way towards Kyle. 'We may not have a reason to hurt him anymore.'

Kyle blinked, taken-aback by Trent's words, and his guard slightly lowered as he did.

'Why not?' he asked, and Trent responded with a smirk.

'Well, fairy, it depends on if you make a deal with us.'

'Oh, more deals? You like them don't you?' Kyle commented sarcastically, but Trent took no response to it as he continued.

'You put down that chair to get your ass kicked, and we'll let this worm go.' Kyle's guard lowered even more, making Trent's smile grow. 'What do you say to that?'

Kyle gave a glance to Butters who was staring at them nervously, unable to say anything. The redhead detected a bruise on his cheek and blood staining the corner of his lip, and that made it easier to make up his mind. He had already been preparing for this; it was his plan to begin with and it didn't require much imagination.

'Fine,' Kyle answered, 'But let Butters go first.'

Trent shrugged.

'Or you put your chair down first. Then we let Butters go, then we fuck you up.' Kyle raised his brow. 'We promise we won't do anything to you until Butters has safely scattered his way out of here like a roach.'

One last glance to Butters with his green eye set a stone in Kyle's stomach. He had denied the deal last time, but this time… 'Deal.' He didn't have much of a choice. He placed the chair onto the ground, but kept it there firmly as the last wall between him and Trent.

Trent grinned and nodded his head at his followers. They all cackled, but let go of Butters as he promised, or more so pushed him out of their hold and sent him into the ground.

'Kyle! No—' Butters gasped with hurt as he leaned off the floor, but the gaze Kyle sent him made all words lock behind his throat.

'It's okay,' Kyle was smiling. 'One of your friends already went for more help. He'll be back. I only need to hang in for a moment.'

Butters' lips shook, and his fist curled tight and dug into the cold ground.

'Okay,' he said, accepting Kyle's determination and getting up to his feet. 'I'll get some help too! Don't worry. I'll be back soon!'

And Butters limped his way out of the cinema as quickly as he could, being watched with care by Kyle until he disappeared into the corridor. But in truth, Kyle had little hope for aid. Who in this prison would they call for help? Guards? Fellow inmates? No. Kyle had no friends, except for the one he had just let go now.

'Well then princess—' Kyle turned back to Trent, his followers now joining him as they began to edge in close, circling him like pray. 'Let's finish the deal. Hope it was worth it.'

'It is.' Kyle said, and slid his hands off the chair, but they didn't simply fall to his sides. He curled them into balls and placed them in front of his chest, attempting a combat stance, yet his untrained posture won nothing but a snort out of his enemies.

'Isn't that breaking the deal?' Trent mocked with a raised brow, but Kyle didn't twitch. Important things were on the line and being mocked was one of his least concerns.

'The deal was to put the chair down. Nothing else.'

'I guess you're right there. Besides it won't matter what you put up. Your whole body will soon be on the ground.' Trent said calmly and rested his hand on the back of a chair beside him, and then before Kyle knew it, a glimmer flashed in his eye and he picked the chair up and flung it at Kyle. Kyle's arms that were up protected him from the worse of it, but the pipes bruised his forearms and engraved a deep throbbing pain into him. He winced, but had no time to focus more on the pain as he dodged another chair flying his way.

'Do you really have time to play around?' Kyle challenged with strong eyes, although his hands were clasping at his throbbing arms. 'Butters will soon be back with help.'

'Oh, I don't think so. When _he_ comes back we'll be finished.' Trent grinned, 'Or you'll be.' He began to put down the chair he was about to throw at Kyle. Kyle paused at this, wondering why at Trent's disarming, and then comprehension struck him as arms suddenly grubbed him from the back by his shoulders, exposing him hopeless like they had to Butters a moment ago. His whole upper body was now locked, making him even more vulnerable than he was towards the group of bullies. Dinner was served, but Kyle just couldn't feel despair and give up; he couldn't feel the reality of what was going to happen to him. He still had a fire inside him that he never even knew he had, and it wasn't about to be blown away so easily.

* * *

**A.N- Thank you readers and reviewers! I hope this was not too disappointing. There seems to be many circles and it practically ended the same way as last time, but I promise it will change from here! When I get around to it. This story isn't too personal and emotion-driven, but mainly to explore heavy plots and character developments. **

**I am gradually laying tracks in front of a train so I can't promise anyone anything, and reamr I know what you mean. But I said prepare for the worst and I don't know what's gonna happen. I'm not even sure about slash (romance) anymore! GASP! But I'm not sure, because this **_**is**_** me… Friendship or Romance? To be or not to be? Please review?  
**

**Btw, isn't the new episode so exciting? It looks so good! **


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N- I took my time, sorry. And thank you for reviewing reamr, idek and symphknot (great to have you as a reader again!). I wasn't getting email notifications so I was like, oh I'll take my time then since it's not like anyone's waiting, but it was just a muckup and they came, so extra thanks!**

**Hope you enjoy. **

* * *

4

Craig Tucker wasn't bad with the handling of ancient cards. He had learnt it from his mother: the different games and rules, how to play, how to shuffle, and even how to cheat, although that's what got her shot in the end. Craig didn't like to cheat, and in most cases like this night, he didn't have to. His skill and luck won him a few coins in his pocket and he was returning to his cell somewhat satisfied for the night, that was, until a garden of red hair ran into him. Craig would have made a cold remark or two, but the redhead quickly apologised and ran off without giving Craig the chance to say a single word. But that was enough for Craig to recognise his face. That fucking princess-whore again... The brunet straightened himself up and sent the running boy another glance. Why was that princess running away from the cells before lights-out anyway? Not like it was any of his business.

He continued to take his steps up the stairs but his legs were heavy from a nagging thought, although he disguised it as laziness. His pace gradually slowed until his game-mates disappeared up the stairs, leaving him behind. He came to a complete stop and turned back, noticing what he was looking for, not that he cared at all.

He moved his eyes back straight and jumped up the stairs as if regaining the pace that he had lost, and then as he turned at the landing of the stairs, he crashed into someone, again. Great. Craig grasped onto the handle to stop himself from falling, and as the world twirled, he managed to take a glimpse of the boy he had bumped into, although, all he caught were the eyes. He half froze at the almost transparent black of his orbs, like black gems, but it wasn't enough to keep him from flipping him off. And at the same second he showed his middle finger, he heard a light _clink_ echo behind him.

Craig looked back, and found one of his well-earned coins rolling down the stairs. He didn't even look back one last time at the boy before he jumped down after it. It was a precious coin, but more than that his body had moved like it was an instinct, like a dog running after a thrown ball. He followed the coin, and to his amazement, it didn't stop at the end of the stairs. It took a gradual curve onto the floor and kept on rolling down the corridor as if it had a mind of its own. It was comical, if not creepy. But finally, it did come to an end. It wobbled awkwardly, but before it could fall naturally, Craig stopped it with a smash of his foot on his precious coin.

'Fuck me…' Craig muttered to himself as he picked up the coin, his voice showing no sign of the astonishment he was feeling inside. But even the sense of amazement he was feeling disappeared as he rose back up. His eyes swayed up, catching a view of the continuing corridor now turning dark, and from that dark tunnel he could hear the hint of voices being carried down the eerie air. His face remained like a stone, but his blink almost turned to a squint as he focused on the voices. He followed the sound, realising that it was probably coming from the cinema, and wondered what all these people were doing just before lights out. He continued to take his steps, slowly, for all he wanted was a small glimpse inside from behind the open door without being noticed. But even that stopped when a sudden blond came running out the cinema and crashed into him, creating a bruise on his shoulder, again. Craig was sure of it now: he was jinxed. The blond wasn't big, but his running made it enough to create a third bruise on Craig's shoulder. He wanted to swear at him, but the boy spat at him before Craig got the chance to.

'Watch it bitch!' The boy said it with a scowl, but it turned into a sneer a second before he turned and continued to run on before Craig could say a word back. So instead Craig flipped his finger to the blond's back and turned back to the cinema. For a second all voices had stopped, until he heard something being thrown; he didn't know what it was, but it sounded painful. He edged in closer to the open door, just behind the doorframe, and looked inside.

'Do you really have time to play around?' He heard a familiar voice say. It was strange, because Craig had been hearing so many voices since he had come to prison and did not bother to remember any of them, but this one rang in his head like a bell. And to his surprise, he recognised the face the moment he set eyes on him. That fucking princess! He had bumped into him only a moment ago, so how, over the past few minutes, had he got himself into this situation? He was being surrounded threateningly, and he already seemed hurt (probably been hit by that chair lying beside him). Hell was drawing in for him…

Craig turned around, pulling his face away from the doorway to lean his back against the wall. His face was still frozen, but his breath was quick and light through his mouth. They were on the same bus that brought them to prison, and they shared the same first gust of air— not that that meant anything. He was a stupid bitch that humiliated him… tried to give him bread on the first day as if he was some charity case… Speaking of which. One of the bigger attackers looked a lot like that guy who took his dinner off of him on the first day. Craig paused, his nails digging into his palms as his hands curled into fists, and then they relaxed. It didn't matter to him. He couldn't care for revenge and especially didn't care to help anyone.

He turned back to the way he came and made his way back with a quick pace, trying to avoid being held back again. He flew up the stairs, skipping a step at a time and not bumping into anyone, and he was quickly where he should have been. He was on the floor of his cell. As far as he could tell, all the prisoners had returned back to their cells, which made the corridor quiet enough for Craig to hear the voices downstairs replaying in his head. It wasn't something uncommon; people got attacked all the time.

And then he arrived at his cell. He stood there, his hand taking its time to travel to the doorknob, until the sound of a door closing a few cells down made him come to a sharp halt. It didn't matter, but Craig looked back to see who had came out into the corridor anyway, and then to amazing coincidence, it was the princess' cellmate. He knew it, although he only saw them together once at dinner on the first day, but the man had an exceptional presence that nobody could ignore or forget.

'Hey,' Craig's eyes widened as he met the blond's glance. It was him who had called out the word, and he immediately regretted it. Why did he do that?

'What?' The blond answered, to Craig's surprise. Well, he didn't have a reason to lie.

'I think your boyfriend's in trouble.'

'What?' The blond asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

'The princess with the curly red hair? He's kind of skinny and weird? He's being attacked by a group of guys in the cinema room downstairs.'

The blond didn't say anything, but his eyes thinned at Craig's words.

'So?' Craig blinked. He didn't move or speak as the blond turned and went back into his cell without another word. The door shut behind him and Craig was again the only person in the corridor, frozen.

That was all. _So? _The guy was right though... So what? It didn't matter if the redhead was being attacked, or if anyone else was for that matter. It _didn't_ matter. Not to anyone.

Craig turned back to his own cell and entered, letting the thoughts of the redhead flow out of his head. He wondered though, why had that blond come out of his cell, if he would just simply return after hearing Craig's words? Wasn't he going somewhere? Did he change his mind? The door closed behind him. Not that it mattered.

.

By the time the cell door closed Kenny had already fallen onto his bed. He closed his eyes. So his bitchy cellmate was being attacked was he? So what? It served him right for kicking him in the shin and running out the door with the last word. Wait… didn't Kenny just leave his cell for something? Didn't someone just knock? No? He forgot why. It probably wasn't important… Kenny twitched his nose as if he could catch the scent of something unpleasant, but it was all just the words in his head.

'_You're a coward!'_

Icy blue eyes flung open as those hot words echoed in his head. That fucking little bitch saying as he pleased without showing a single speck of fear or even uneasiness towards him. Maybe Kenny had been too easy on him just because he was his first cellmate. He could have fucked up that little princess himself, but no, someone was going through that trouble for him. Kyle was always going to get it with his look and attitude, especially his dumbness. Kenny couldn't believe how stupid he was; it was definitely irritating. It was as if Kyle had a lack of survival instinct, and that's what comes with being protected all his life.

Kenny closed his eyes again. When morning came, he would have a wounded cellmate… Or he may not have a cellmate at all.

.

Kyle wanted to scream out of frustration and anger. Why were these people attacking him as a group and not individually? Wasn't it embarrassing to gang up on him like this? Were they anxious to face him one by one? Ha, no. They were just pitiful, disgusting, sadistic _crap_ for people and Kyle hated them, especially the one holding him from behind at this point of time.

'Let go of me!' The redhead struggled but neither force nor slithering would help. In fact, the more he struggled the more the other seemed to have fun and squeezed him tighter with his arms. What's so funny, you snake! And so Kyle hopped and kicked with his free feet, an action he seemed to be getting a hold of. It hit one of Trent's followers square on the nose and he fell, but that hardly mattered in the end. Trent was able to grab both his feet this time, stopping them from kicking, and without getting a single blow to himself. Kyle continued to kick his legs, but it was as useless as trying to swim through quick sand. Trent continued to pull him by the legs as the boy holding him from behind in place, stretching him out like a cloth on a table until he was laid on the ground.

Kyle's kicking and thrashing strengthened as he felt the cold floor sink into his back, but it instantly stopped as an angry foot flung into the left side of his stomach. He groaned a choke, but couldn't respond to it as his limbs were held down, and neither could he wipe his tearing eyes. Trent had let go of his legs, but the boy holding his arms was sinking his weight into them, digging his arms into the floor and making them throb. He curled his legs and breathed through his teeth to hold in the pain, but that all stopped the second he felt someone kneel on his stomach.

'Ah!' He cried a loud voice of pain. The voice continued as the knee kept on digging into his stomach, until it finally released. The voice stopped but Kyle breathed shallow breaths, feeling a tear finally escape his eye. Why was he even here? Oh yeah… Butters. Kyle opened his eye as he felt more weight on his body, and found the violent boy climbing on top of him.

'I'm gonna enjoy this…' the boy said. Kyle noticed a trace of blood around his nostril from the kick he managed to smash into his face. It was a satisfying sight, but not nearly worth all the anger he had brought out with it, especially as the boy bent Kyle's knees up against his chest.

'No!' Kyle hissed, forgetting the pain and beginning to struggle again. The familiar sickness was returning to his stomach and panic sank in like blood slowly boiling in his head. He glared at the boy pushing his thighs, until a large face appeared in his vision upside down, and he noticed it was of the boy holding his arms down behind him.

'Struggling will only make things harder for you,' he said, but Kyle didn't listen. He gathered all the saliva in his mouth and spat it at the face above him. It was his first attempt at spitting at something, but his aim was a miracle. The spit sprayed into the boy's eye and he yelped, letting go of Kyle to grab at his spit-filled eye.

With his arms free, Kyle shot his upper body up straight, slamming his fists into the boy bending his legs. Even without having the largest muscles, the sprint of springing up straight made his fists fast enough to cause a satisfying pain on the attacker. He let go of Kyle also, and even fell to the ground holding his nose, blood flowing from behind his palm. But Kyle didn't observe this. The second he was free he began crawling, knocking a few chairs down out of his way. As he began to calm he grabbed onto a chair, pulling himself up into the air with it as support. One of the healthy followers was already moving his way, but Kyle turned with a swish of his chair, keeping the attacker away at a distance.

'Stay away,' Kyle warned, from the boy inching up on him to Trent who was still leaning against the wall without any sign to be aroused by Kyle's fierce defence.

'You're definitely breaking the deal now,' Trent simply said with a smirk.

'Didn't make a deal that I wouldn't pick back up another chair.'

'Smart ass,' Trent finally leaned off the wall. 'Put that ass to a better use and give up kid.'

'No.' Kyle said firmly. 'I've been passive all my life and now I'm finally alone on my two feet defending myself, so I'm not going to stop; I'm not going to give up. Even if I don't have a chance against fighting all of you, I won't lose this battle I started against myself.'

'Poetry,' Trent spat with a smirk. 'Well good luck with that.'

Trent took a step forward, but Kyle wasn't too distracted as he saw his follower jump at him from the corner of his eye. He through his chair at the attacker like Trent had done to him, and turned to run. He heard his chair hit someone but it didn't help to relieve him. The boys he hurt were completely recovered now and on their feet, angrier than ever. But who caught him in the end was no other than Trent himself, and he only did it with a quick reach as Kyle ran by, grabbing him by the wrist. Trent swang him around, almost pulling his arm out of its socket, and slammed him against the wall that he had been leaning against a second before. A sharp yelp escaped Kyle's mouth, and then he froze as he noticed a chair held up in front of him, securing him against the wall between its four legs. Trent wasn't smiling as he held the chair.

'You know, the intention was to hurt you. We weren't gonna kill you or anything, that'll be a waste. We just wanted to scare you a bit with pain.' He said without his eyes quivering an inch away from Kyle's. But Kyle couldn't help but squint as the chair legs began to move up against him, making a subtle eerie screech as the legs dragged up the wall. 'But now I think my poor friends deserve a little compensation from the damage you caused to them.' The legs lifted off the wall as they reached Kyle's armpits and lifted to his face. Trent's eyes still didn't move as he pressed one of the chair legs against Kyle's lips, and then slowly twisted it into his mouth. Kyle wanted to gag at the dirty rubber sole sliding against his tongue and the cold metal flooding his whole mouth, but staring back at Trent's eyes was the only thing he could do. 'Don't you think so?'

Kyle grasped at the chair leg stuck in his mouth but it wouldn't move an inch. …Oh God, it was beginning to feel as if his lungs were swelling up and weighing inside his chest like a sponge in a bath. The fire inside him now was nothing but a small match, and he hated that it was Trent's cold eyes and words that were making him this way. He closed his eyes to see if the breaking feeling was really there inside. All he saw was black, but in the darkness behind his eyelids he could almost hear the ticking time bomb of his heart about to explode. Wait… no, he could _really_ hear it. Tap, tap, tap, like footsteps, light and rhythmic, unlike that of anyone's in the room. The sound was becoming clearer and clearer, and Kyle opened his eyes at the very realistic sound. And once they opened, his eyes kept on widening at whom he saw at the door. It wasn't the ticking of a countdown; it was _really_ footsteps.

Trent's brow twitched, and he followed Kyle's gaze past him to the opened door. 'Shit…' Trent clicked his tongue and moved away from Kyle.

The redhead coughed as the chair leg drew out of his mouth and wiped the saliva that stringed down his lip and chin. His heart was racing like a fuming train, but everything and everyone was quiet. Kyle couldn't blink, or even move his eyes away from the door and the tall boy leaning against its frame; everyone was looking at him.

'Kenny…' Kyle breathed the name, barely audible even to himself. The blond didn't seem to hear, and he cocked his eyebrow at everyone's frozen glance questioningly.

'What's wrong?' He said to Trent, who Kyle noticed gulped down a chunk in his throat. And then Kenny looked to his followers. 'Who told you to stop?'

Kyle instantly felt his heart sink, no, he didn't feel that; he felt nothing. He tried to process Kenny's words but even after he did that, it was impossible to believe. It was when he felt a fierce grip around his arm that he jumped out of his trance, and then he was dragged onto the floor once again.

Trent hadn't moved and wasn't even looking at his followers attacking Kyle. He was focused on Kenny with thin eyes, the blond now reaching out for a chair and sitting on it, leaning forward onto the back of the reversed seat. There was a smile on his face as usual, completely unreadable, hollow or cold. Trent shivered with a glare as he looked at that face: those eyes and the rise of those lips. He felt cold as he looked at the person he feared, not cautioned, but truly feared without any reason but the instinct in his gut. But Kenny barely gave him a glance; his eyes were staring at Kyle being attacked on the ground by Trent's followers, showing nothing on his face, if he had any to show at all.

'Kenny—'

The sound of Kyle's cries seemed so far from the silence the two tall boys held. His attackers didn't seem to care if they were being watched as long as they weren't interrupted. They attacked him like a group of zombies on living flesh, holding him down with force and shut him up with pain, trying to get what they were doing quickly over and done with. But Kyle didn't want anything over and done with. The one that had hit Kyle repeatedly was now placing himself between his legs, lifting them out of his way as he towered over him as if Kyle hadn't escaped the first time. Kyle froze as he felt friction against his arse and growled in disgust and anger, but he quickly dropped back in the exhaustion of frustration and hurt and dare say it— despair.

'Kenny!' He cried to the blond watching him from across the room, squeezing out what he had left deep inside him. 'Help me!'

Kenny's lips parted for a second, but other than that nothing changed on his face. But even that mouth quickly closed and he shrugged to himself.

'I dunno… I guess I'm too scared to.'

Kyle's eyes widened as he heard Kenny's sarcastic remark of repeating what he had told Kenny over their heated conversation. How pathetic… Kyle was beginning to approach the brink of rage, and not towards his attackers, but at Kenny for that one comment. So he had remembered what Kyle had said to him, and was now getting back at him for it by watching him suffer? How pathetic. And this meant that Kyle's words were true if they had any affect on Kenny.

'Of course you are… You're a coward!' Kyle yelled ignoring the bodies shuffling around him, focusing on nothing but the cold blond hiding everything behind that fake smile. 'You're scared that you might not get out, you're scared that you might die here! You're scared when you're awake so you act like ice, and you're scared when you sleep so you hide your presence! You're scared of getting hurt so you hide your feelings under that chilling smile and act as if nothing matters! You're scared of getting close to someone, to trust people, yet at the same time, you're scared of being alone. You hold no hope because you're scared of disappointment!'

Kyle groaned at the boy's movement on top of him and grit his teeth to try and ignore the humiliation. But out of impulse, he head-butted the forehead that he could reach. Although it caused Kyle a numb fuzziness in his brain and a thumping pain, it seemed to have caused more damage on the boy on top of him. He grunted and fell back, knocking the other boy off behind him as well, letting Kyle free enough to jump to his feet. He was stronger than he thought, and kept on impressing himself with it. Regained hope again Kyle ran, but not towards the door. He ran straight to Kenny and grasped the blond's collar with his hands, forcing his burning eyes into Kenny's icy ones.

'You're a scared all the time for everything. I figured all that out in the first hour that we were together. But what have you found out about me on your own? Everyone is scared here Kenny. Everyone is scared to death. That's why it is such a living hell…' Kyle gasped as he was hurled back from Kenny, but didn't take his focus off the blond even as he was being dragged back into his nightmare. 'But I'm not scared Kenny. Not here. I'm not scared of calling for help and I'm not scared of responding to it because I'm not afraid of rejection. I'm not scared of making friends and I'm not scared of making enemies. I want to live through this, and I have hope for it. That's why I intimidate you; that's why you're scared of me. Because I'm stronger than you.'

Kyle ended with a shot of breath, between relief and exhaustion. He had squeezed out everything inside of him, thoughts he didn't even knew he had. His own words let him become aware, but did it have any affect on Kenny at all? He had said everything out of impulse; how could it have affected anyone but himself? His blurred eyesight began to focus on where Kenny was sitting, but there was no one in that chair; Kyle thinned his eyes in confusion.

A sudden yelp cried behind him and Kyle felt the weight drain away from him as one arm was let free. But Kyle couldn't rejoice; he was frozen without his brain comprehending the situation. Everything happened instantly and he couldn't even blink as he looked up to see what had happened. And he met a smile, or more like a challenging smirk looking down on him. He knew that smirk well, but the eyes left him in a trance. It was hard to believe, but Kyle thought he felt a hint of warmth hiding in those icy-blue orbs.

'You're stronger than me?' the blond said. 'In your dreams, princess.'

One boy was already down with Kenny's single blow, and before Kyle knew it, his other arm was flung free as the next also fell to the floor without even letting out a yelp. Everything went by instantaneously, to make it sound bad, it was almost anticlimactic. Trent's followers that Kyle fought so hard to resist were falling one by one by Kenny's movements that Kyle couldn't even make out with his eyes. But he knew that it was either Kenny hiding massive strength in his slender muscles or him hitting hidden nerves in the body. One thing he could tell though: Kenny was fast, from every joint to muscle. His movements were clean, swift, even beautiful, like the wind. Within a minute it was only Trent left glaring quietly at the Immortal Prince.

'Son of a bitch,' Trent bit as if he was angry that Kenny had hurt his precious followers.

'Well at least I do it quickly and don't play with my food like your gang does.' Kenny nodded at Kyle who was standing there amazed by Kenny, forgetting his own bruised and hurt body. 'So what's it gonna be? You gonna try and resist my kicking your ass or do you want to let us pass?'

'Get the fuck out,' Trent growled. 'But don't think you won't pay for this.'

'Fine,' Kenny shrugged and pulled Kyle by the arm, bringing him out of his trance. 'But I won't recommend hurting this princess again. Because if you hurt him and he gives me another stupid lecture over it, you're dead.'

Kyle let himself be pulled out of the cinema, slowly regaining the control of his limbs and mouth. He stared up at the blond who kept on walking without a single bead of sweat on his neck. Who was this person? This person who has immense strength. This person who's feared, and for good reasons too, yet is scared. This mysterious person who acts as if he cares for nothing, yet is moved by a few simple words by Kyle.

'When Butters said he'd call for help I wasn't expecting you…' Kyle muttered to himself with a weak smile. Kenny frowned in confusion as he heard the words. 'Is he okay by the way?'

'What do you mean?'

'Butters.' Kyle emphasised the name and they came to a halt. 'He called for you, didn't he?'

'No,' Kenny said as if it was a ridiculous suggestion. But to Kyle, everything lost sense with that word. The air froze around him as he stared at Kenny with round eyes.

'Then how did you end up here?'

'Some kid told me you were in trouble.'

'Was he short and freckled? With light-brown hair?' Kyle described the boy that had taken him to Butters' aid.

'No. He was tall-ish with black hair. You know him though. I think he's the guy who called you princess-whore when you tried to help him on the first day.'

Kyle twitched from the puzzle.

'Craig Tucker?'

The blond shrugged to show that he didn't know the name, but Kyle was pretty sure. The only thing he didn't know was, how did Craig find out? And then a brief memory flashed up in his head, the face of the boy he had bumped into on the way down here, and it was Craig's face. He had bumped into Craig and he didn't even notice. But that was strange. The boy hated Kyle, so why would he bother to follow him and then go back up and tell Kenny? However it was, Kyle now owed him one. He owed Kenny too now, and still that boy with the obsidian eyes… Kyle didn't mind being in dept to people; it meant that someone had done something for him, maybe even cared for him, and that was a comforting thought, a little distraction from this prison to keep his mind occupied with. It would all have made sense though, if it had been Butters; maybe the blond wasn't well enough to call for help.

'I wonder if Butters is okay…' Kyle murmured to himself, but Kenny heard him.

'Dude, why do you keep on mentioning Butters? What does he have to do with any of this?'

'Well he was the one being attacked when I went there.'

'Wait, Butters was attacked by Trent and his gang?' Kenny asked as if he had just chewed on something bitter. But he didn't go into it once Kyle gave him a confirming nod. 'Huh. And you went down there because?'

'Because a boy told me that Butters was in trouble and needed my help. He brought me here, and then went to get more help. I managed to get Butters out. And he said he would call for help, not that I counted on it too much. I mean, who would come for me?' Kyle blinked, and then gave himself a weak chuckle, but stopped as he caught Kenny's eyes. Someone _did_ come for him in the end.

'You managed to get Butters out?' Kenny repeated with exasperation. 'You sold yourself for him didn't you?' Kyle didn't answer but his smile dimmed, and Kenny took that as a yes. 'I can't believe you. Really. You're a fucking nut-case.'

'You saved me too didn't you? You could have got yourself hurt.'

'No. I did it because I knew those pansies don't have what it takes to even scratch me. I'm not suicidal, like you.'

'I'm not suicidal either!' Kyle answered, taken aback as he followed Kenny who began walking again.

'Well, you've got some fucked up death wish I'll tell you that.'

Kyle didn't say anything, but a soft smile was on his face as he walked beside the blond. He had just experienced hell, but all he could feel now was the warmth of a happy ending, like feeling the light finally engulf him after exiting a long dark tunnel. He wouldn't exactly call himself happy-go-lucky, but when surrounded with shadow and living in darkness, even a small light really does shine bright.

'So are we friends now?' The redhead tested, looking up at the blond from the corner of his eye.

'In your dreams, princess.' The blond answered with his previous words.

'But you saved me?'

'I saved you because I'm not a coward. To prove you wrong. I'm not scared, especially not of you.'

'Not even becoming close to me?' Kyle teased, unable to contain himself as he found that his words had actually had an affect on the ice prince. Kenny rolled his eyes and sighed at Kyle's words.

'Go to hell.'

Kyle grinned.

'I'm already there.'

* * *

**A.N- thanks for reading. And that's a wrap for Trent for now! On to the next level…**


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